This book of crosswords is all about jokes laughs and comedy. There is no better way to brighten up one's day than to indulge in humorous activities. Medical studies have proven that laughing relieves stress and helps develop better coping skills by looking at problems from a humorous perspective. Here are some of the more specific benefits identified by recent studies in this area:

Laughter helps to lower blood pressure. It increases vascular blood flow and oxygenation of the blood. It gives a workout to the diaphragm and abdominal, respiratory, facial, leg and back muscles. It reduces certain stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. It increases the response of tumor and disease killing cells such as gamma-interferon and T-cells. It helps defend against respiratory infections, even reducing the frequency of common colds, by immunoglobulon in saliva. It helps increase memory and learning; A study at Johns Hopkins University Medical School found that humor during classroom instruction led to an increase in test scores. Laughter also improves alertness, creativity, and memory.

There are many other benefits of laughter and even some yet to be discovered, but the one thing that comes across loud and clear is that “it's good for you!” There's nothing like an un-controllable gut-wrenching laugh when you find yourself in hot water up to your neck and everything seems to conspire against you. Some of my most inspiring moments have come after laughing about a bad situation that seemed to just drop in my lap. I laughed myself right into a solution. Remember, it’s not as bad as it seems “Thar's comedy in there somewhere!”. In this comedy is combined with crossword puzzles, a powerful combination. We are well aware of the benefits of laughter but what about the benefits of solving puzzles? Following are several benefits that come to mind almost immediately:

Crosswords help develop language and math skills. Crosswords develop imagination and creativity. Puzzles help in developing abstract and non-relationship thinking. Crosswords help in building vocabulary. Working crosswords strengthen word recall and memory. Crosswords stimulate and develop problem solving skills. Crosswords improve focus and attention. Crosswords provide a way to keep mentally active and fit. I recommend this book of crosswords if you like to laugh, and who doesn't? There is something in here for everyone. The laughs are very sudden, cool, surprising, and even subtle. With this book get ready to laugh, and most importantly, get ready to have fun! That's about all I have to say and we'll see you at the next side-stitching session.

Garceal McClain is an Alabama native, born in Birmingham during the Civil Rights movement in the 1960's.