Introduction: A contagion, a power -- Early modern cheerfulness. Body, heaven, home : cheerful places -- Among the cheerful : the emotional life of charity -- Medicine, manners, and reading for the kidneys -- Shakespeare, or the politics of cheer -- Montaigne, or the cheerful self -- Cheerful economies and bourgeois culture. Social virtue, enlightenment emotion : Hume and Smith -- Jane Austen, or cheer in time -- Cheerful ambition in the age of capital : Dickens to Alger -- Gay song and natural cheer : Milton, Wordsworth -- Modern cheerfulness. The gay scientists : philosophy and poetry -- It is amazing! Self-help and self-marketing -- "Take it, Satch!" : cheer in dark times -- Conclusion: Cheer in pandemic days.

Positive psychology, the pursuit of understanding optimal human functioning, is reshaping the scholarly and public views of how we see the science of psychology. The Encyclopedia of Positive Psychology provides a comprehensive and accessible summary of this growing area of scholarship and practice. 288 specially commissioned entries written by 150 leading international researchers, educators, and practitioners in positive psychology covers topics of interest across all social sciences as well as business and industry the most current, extensive, and accessible treatment of the subject available topical primer clarifies basic constructs and processes associated with positive psychology will be useful to students, teachers, practitioners, businesspeople, and policy makers

Research on humor is carried out in a number of areas in psychology, including the cognitive (What makes something funny?), developmental (when do we develop a sense of humor?), and social (how is humor used in social interactions?) Although there is enough interest in the area to have spawned several societies, the literature is dispersed in a number of primary journals, with little in the way of integration of the material into a book. Dr. Martin is one of the best known researchers in the area, and his research goes across subdisciplines in psychology to be of wide appeal. This is a singly authored monograph that provides in one source, a summary of information researchers might wish to know about research into the psychology of humor. The material is scholarly, but the presentation of the material is suitable for people unfamiliar with the subject-making The Psychology of Humor suitable for use for advanced undergraduate and graduate level courses on the psychology of humor-which have not had a textbook source. 2007 AATH Book Award for Humor/Laughter Research category! - Up-to-date coverage of research on humor and laughter in every area of psychology - Research findings are integrated into a coherent conceptual framework - Includes recent brain imaging studies, evolutionary models, and animal research - Draws on contributions from sociology, linguistics, neuroscience, and anthropology - Provides an overview of theories of humor and early research - Explores applications of humor in psychotherapy, education, and the workplace - Points out interesting topics for further research and promising research methodologies - Written in a scholarly yet easily accessible style - 2007 AATH Book Award for Humor/Laughter Research category

"With practice, any teacher can develop the skills they need to conquer almost any classroom challenge. This essential resource offers a host of "top ten" lists of practical ideas to help teachers: manage their time efficiently; educate with passion and enthusiasm; support struggling students; motivate with creativity and humour; lead effectively, both inside the classroom and out. The proven, results-based ideas and solutions in this unique guide will help teachers draw on their personal and professional power to truly excel in the art of teaching."--Publisher's website (www.pembrokepublishers.com).