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Suggested Books
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Books On The Many Benefits Of Humor And Laughter
Gesundheit!, Patch Adams, MD, Healing Arts Press, 1998. To Order!
They Used To Call Me Snow White...But I Drifted—Women's Strategic Use Of Humor, Regina Barreca, Penguin Books: New York, 1991. To Order!
Don't Get Mad, Get Funny — Using Humor To Manage Stress, Leigh Anne Jasheway, Whole Person Associates, 1996. To Order!
The Healing Power Of Humor, Allen Klein, J P Tarcher, 1989. To Order!
Humor Works, John Morreall, HRD Press: Amherst, MA, 1997. To Order!
Compassionate Laughter — Jest For Your Health, Patty Wooten, Commune-A-Key, 1996. To Order!
Books On Being Funny, Improvising, Writing Comedy
(All Of Which Significantly Improves Your Creativity!)
Stand-up Comedy — The Book, Judy Carter, Dell Publishing: New York, 1989. To Order!
The Complete Stand-Up Comedy Workbook, Greg Dean, 1996.
Truth In Comedy — The Manual Of Improvisation, Charna Halpern, Del Close, Kim "Howard" Johnson, Meriwether Publishing: Colorado Springs, 1993. To Order!
Comedy Improvisation — Exercises And Techniques For Young Actors, Delton T. Horn, Meriwether Publishing: Colorado Springs, 1991. To Order!
Improvisation For The Theater, Viola Spolin, Northwestern University Press: Evanston, IL, 1983. To Order!
The Comic Toolbox — How To Be Funny Even If You're Not, John Vorhaus, Silman-James Press: Los Angeles, 1994. To Order!
Books On Music And Its Effects
The Healing Energies Of Music, Hal A. Lingerman, The Theosophical Publishing House: Wheaton, IL, 1995. To Order!
- Describes different kinds of music, the effects of music, and how to “find your music.” Many, many suggestions for music are given for various occasions and effects; suggestions include specific titles of pieces, as well as styles or genres. The author covers everything from New Age to Gregorian Chants, classical to ethnic.
Mind, Music and Imagery — Unlocking The Treasures Of Your Mind, Stephanie Merritt, Aslan Publishing: Santa Rosa, CA, 1996. To Order!
- Includes 37 exercises to be done with music helping the reader to learn the effects various kinds of music have on him or her. Easy to read, and the exercises show the wide range of responses one can have to different pieces of music.
Tune Your Brain — Using Music To Manage Your Mind, Body, And Mood, Elizabeth Miles, Berkley Books: New York, 1997. To Order!
- Describes well the various effects music has and makes many suggestions about what music to use for the effect you want to create.
Books On Writing Your Life Story
Once Upon A Memory, Shirley Achor, PhD, Aran Enterprises: Dallas, 1994.
- A fill-in-the-blank format for writing your life story, with blank pages for further elaboration. Very different than the books by Borg or Ledoux listed below. Some will prefer the “paint by numbers” approach of Achor’s workbook and others will prefer the less directive guidance of the other two books. Achor’s workbook can be purchased by sending $11.95 to Aran Enterprises, P. O. Box 35284, Dallas, TX 75235.
Writing Your Life — An Easy-To-Follow Guide To Writing An Autobiography, Mary Borg, Cottonwood Press: Fort Collins, CO, 1998. To Order!
- A delightful book with many creative tips on how to write your life story.
Also includes much practical information on such things as how to copyright your story, and how to bind it. Includes each of the decades since the ‘20s with a long list of events, words and phrases of that decade to jog your memory.
Turning Memories Into Memoirs — A Handbook For Writing Lifestories, Denis Ledoux, Soleil Press: Lisbon Falls, ME, 1993. To Order!
- A very complete and detailed guide, and quite enjoyable to read.
Listening To Life Stories — A New Approach To Stress Intervention In Health Care, Bruce Rybarczyk, PhD, Albert Bellg, PhD, Springer Publishing Company: New York, 1997. To Order!
- I include this book because of its Appendices B and C. They have some very good questions about one’s life. If you were to answer them, you would be well on the way to writing your life story.
Practical Books About Funerals
Creating Your Own Funeral Or Memorial Service — A Workbook, Stephanie West Allen, Kiteshade Publishing: Denver, 1998. To Order!
- Read the book's Introduction telling you the many benefits of creating your own service.
In Memoriam — A Practical Guide To Planning A Memorial Service, Amanda Bennett, Terence B. Foley, A Fireside Book: New York, 1997. To Order!
- The target reader is the person who plans the funeral of one already deceased. It contains lots of good ideas, sample funeral and memorial services, and information about many topics including how to write a eulogy.
Caring For Your Own Dead, Lisa Carlson, Upper Access Publishers: Hinesburg, VT, 1987.
- For people who choose to handle arrangements without a funeral director, or as education for those who decide to work with a funeral director. Includes the history of home funerals, cremation, embalming, and burial; and a discussion of legal issues related to caring for your own dead. New edition is Caring For The Dead — Final Act Of Love, Lisa Carlson, Upper Access Publishers: Hinesburg, VT, 1998.
Legal Research — How To Find And Understand The Law, Stephen Elias, Susan Levinkind, Nolo Press: Berkeley, 1998. To Order!
- Covers just what the title says.
Rituals For Our Times — Celebrating, Healing, And Changing Our Lives And Our Relationships, Evan Imber-Black, PhD, Janine Roberts, EdD, Jason Aronson: Northvale, NJ, 1998. To Order!
- Looks at rituals throughout our lives, ranging from daily to once-in-a-lifetime. Tells how to create rituals with excellent questions to ask yourself and others when “making meaningful rituals.”
Last Wishes — A Handbook To Guide Your Survivors, Lucinda Page Knox, MSW, Michael D. Knox, PhD, Ulysses Press: Berkeley, 1995. To Order!
- A workbook to be completed by a person to leave instructions for his or her survivors after death. The section on planning a funeral is fairly brief. Other sections include: Obituary, Disposition Of Remains, Design Your Own Headstone, and Legal And Insurance Information. Would make a good companion to Creating Your Own Funeral Or Memorial Service.
The Magic Land — Designing Your Own Enchanted Garden, Julie Moir Messervy, Macmillan: New York, 1998. To Order!
- For your imagination. Guides you in planting a garden that reflects your personality.
Death Rehearsal — A Practical Guide For Preparing For The Inevitable, Doug Pokorski, Octavo Press: Springfield, IL, 1995. To Order!
- Another practical guide to dealing with such matters as disposition of the body, funeral homes, legal documents, and other important topics. Includes checklists, a chapter on do-it-yourself caring for the deceased, and a chapter on the Federal Trade Commission Funeral Rule.
Profits Of Death — An Insider Exposes The Death Care Industries, Darryl J. Roberts, Five Star Publications, Inc.: Chandler, AZ, 1997. To Order!
- The title explains the main thrust of the book. Has much excellent advice on how to keep funeral costs down. Contains information about various aspects of death, including the pros and cons of pre-arranging, the process of embalming a body, and the Federal Trade Commission Funeral Rule. The Appendix contains the complete Funeral Rule.
In Memoriam — A Guide To Modern Funeral And Memorial Services, Edward Searl, Skinner House Books: Boston, 1993. To Order!
- Includes samples of some beautiful memorial services and eulogies. Also has a helpful description of ways to approach the preparation and delivery of the eulogy.
It’s Only Too Late If You Don’t Start Now — How To Create Your Second Life After 40, Barbara Sher, Delacorte Press: New York, 1998. To Order!
- Chapter 3 is called “Time Limits” and has a discussion of the passage of time and of mortality, and includes exercises for the reader. What Sher has to say is thought-provoking and valuable. Titles of sections in the chapter include “You’ve got to see your death coming or one day you will collide with it head-on,” and “The usefulness of remembering our mortality.”
Creating Meaningful Funeral Ceremonies — A Guide For Caretakers, Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D., Companion Press: Fort Collins, CO, 1994. To Order!
- Although this book is written to help survivors, as well as funeral officiants and facilitators, to create a funeral or memorial service, it has many good ideas. It also includes a very interesting and thoughtful discussion about the role and value of funerals.
Books To Assist Your Thinking About Death
Tuesdays With Morrie — An Old Man, A Young Man, And Life’s Greatest Lesson, Mitch Albom, Doubleday: New York, 1997. To Order!
- It is no wonder this book has been on the best-seller lists for so long. About death and dying, and about life and living.
Western Attitudes Toward Death From The Middle Ages To The Present, Philippe Aries, The Johns Hopkins University Press: Baltimore and London, 1974. To Order!
- A fascinating look at how and why attitudes about death have changed significantly through history.
The Denial Of Death, Ernest Becker, The Free Press: New York, 1973. To Order!
- Shows how awareness (or lack of awareness) of our mortality has profound effects on many areas of our lives. Intensely thought-provoking.
A Celebration Of Customs & Rituals Of The World, Robert Ingpen, Philip Wilkinson, Facts on File: New York, 1996. To Order!
- A beautifully illustrated overview of world traditions.
After Death — Mapping The Journey, Sukie Miller, PhD, with Suzanne Lipsett, Simon & Schuster: New York, 1997. To Order!
- The author has traveled the world observing other cultures and their beliefs about what happens to us after we die. Using common denominators found throughout cultures, she has developed four stages of afterdeath: waiting, judgment, possibilities and return. Helps us to look at how we view death. And very engrossing to read.
The Book Of Eulogies — A Collection Of Memorial Tributes, Poetry, Essays, And Letters Of Condolence, edit. Phyllis Theroux, Simon & Schuster, 1997. To Order!
- Often moving and inspirational.
Books On The Benefits Of Learning About Your Ancestors
Mother Of My Mother — The Intricate Bond Between Generations, Hope Edelman, Dial Press, 1999. To Order!
I Swore I'd Never Do That — Recognizing Family Patterns And Making Wise Parenting Choices, Elizabeth Fishel, Conari Press, 1994. To Order!
Forgive Your Parents, Heal Yourself — How Understanding Your Painful Family Legacy Can Transform Your Life, Barry Grosskopf, MD, The Free Press: New York, 1999. To Order!
Sacred Legacies — Healing Your Past And Creating A Positive Future, Denise Linn, Ballantine Publishing: New York, 1998. To Order!
How, Then, Shall We Live?, Wayne Muller, Bantam Books, 1997. To Order!
The Ancestor Syndrome — Transgenerational Psychotherapy And The Hidden Links In The Family Tree, Anne Ancelin Schutzenberger, Routledge, 1998. To Order!
If you need additional information, please email Stephanie
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Allen&Nichols Productions, Inc. Post Office Box 9311 Denver, CO 80209
Stephanie West Allen and Edd Nichols
(303)935-8866
Copyright ©1999-2006, Allen&Nichols