I'd Rather Laugh Abridged

Rating:
Summary: Linda Richman, your book saved my life!!!
Review: After going through a bad year, the last thing I needed was the recommendation of yet another self help book. But a good friend read I'd Rather Laugh" and gave it to me as a birthday present because she thought it would help. And she was so right. This book helped me more than I'd ever thought because it showed me that no matter what happens, you can turn it around and feel better about life and about yourself if you allow laughter into your life. She taught me that there is always a bigger picture, one that we can't always see, and we just have to accept things as they are because there are certain things we have absolutely no control over.
Ms Richman's experiences in her life were far worse than what I was going through, but yet, she was able to find the positive side of the situations. I found that I felt very close to her. Her writing was friendly and easy to follow and by the time the book was over I felt like she was an old friend of mine. This is a book I will read over and over, as it's already dog-eared from re-reading certain passages that give me a lot of comfort. Knowing that there's help out there, knowing that Ms Richman got help, pushed me to see a therapist myself, which may very well have saved my life. Thank you, Ms Richman, for showing me the way.

Rating:
Summary: disappointing
Review: I was really prepared to love this book, and couldn't wait to read it, based on all the good buzz it had gotten. But what a disappointment. Ms Richman spends the first 3 chapters filling us in on some of the tragedies that have happened to her- and blames her mother for everything bad that has happened to her, including her battle with agorophobia. This is not healing- this is sad. Her mother is to be pitied, not censured: a sad case, not an evil talisman. If her factual telling is correct, her mother suffered far more tragedy than Ms Richman. I cannot believe that someone who years later blames her ills on a dead woman has really made self-described progress. From there, Ms Richman goes on in subsequent chapters to very loosely describe her life philosophies (what movies to watch when you are down) while interjecting comments from people who have heard her speak- people who are profoundly depressed but feel ashamed of their troubles after hearing of her own. Perhaps she elaborates more in her seminars? I didn't get it. She also has a frequent habit of assuming we know her and share the joke when she says "like I would ever do something like that" and "knowing me..." Well, we don't. We never get to. Ms Richman has had some bad things happen to her, like the death of an adult son- but none of the things that have happened to her are above the realm of what a normal person living to middle age in the 20th century would experience in the course of life. Her "advice", if one can call it that, is (not very) humorous, not helpful. She quite rightly points out that she has no credentials. Based on what she has written, I cannot agree more. Being the inspiration for the "Coffee Talk" skit on Saturday Night Live may have gotten her a book contract and speaking gigs- but nothing she expounds here justifies either.

Rating:
Summary: The Greatest Gift!
Review: After seeing Linda Richman on Oprah, I realized we share a lot in common with each other. Linda's life experiences didn't keep her from moving on, and as she said, she's now a life junkie. I suffer from agrophobia too and after reading I'd Rather Laugh I know there is help out there for me! Linda's book has inspired me and that door knob is not so scary now. If you suffer from any kind of anxiety, read the book. Help is out there if you look around. When you read Lindas book, you'll realize that you can overcome anything with the gift of laughter. Try it youll like it!

Rating:
Summary: What a book!
Review: It's hard to understand how anyone could not love this book and come away from reading it a changed person. What Linda shares with all of us is painful, yes, but it was told so that we could all realize that, no matter how bad things seem, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. Linda shows us how to get through that tunnel, and for me, reading this book was a life-altering experience. Thank you Linda, for everything you've done for so many of us out there that felt we were alone with our grief. You showed us that there are ways to come out from under the covers of unhappiness, and that no matter how bad something seems, we CAN go on.

Rating:
Summary: LINDA IS A GEM
Review: i just saw the oprah winfrey show and linda richman was a guest. I couldn't have been happier to finally attach a face with the writer of this very touching, funny book. Oprah is know for picking winners and this book is a winner! I love to laugh but sometimes find i can't when things are happening in my life. After i read this book i can honestly tell you that i've been doing things wrong. I was shown how to laugh in the face of crisis and come out stronger in the end. Linda found how to laugh when life isn't so funny and she helped me see that i can do it too. Bless you Linda and keep writing.

Rating:
Summary: FIVE STARS ISN'T ENOUGH!!!
Review: if somebody doesn't like this book they should run to a shrink.its funny, its sad, its touching, its written with such a joy and its written as a converation with the reader.i felt i knew this woman all of my life and she knew me. the information she imparted is so simple and yet so smart. its spirituality without the B.S. i left the book both smiling and knowing that i can survive anything.. linda is a woman who has survived insurmountable things and shows her readers how to cope with all the obstacles they may face. she does it through humor, she does it with joy. i suggest that anyone who wants to truly enjoy life even when life has other plans for you should run and buy this book. if you're life is going well this book prepares you for those times when you may need to find an inner strength you thought you never had. i have read many self help books but this is the first one that cuts to the chase. a no nonsense, practical way to find happiness when life hits you in the face. i would like to thank linda richman for sharing her life with all of us who love life. thank you linda.

Rating:
Summary: When Does the Laughing Start?
Review: The content of this book is trite and smacks of someone so self-absorbed with her issues that she thought them worthy for publication. The writing style frustrated me, as it rambles and babbles about the same trials and tribulations that the author faced in life without making any connections for the readers who expected to gain any insight. After I finished the book, all I could think was "Get Over It!" I found nothing in the book that would lead me to believe that this author would rather laugh, nor did she provide any insight as to how one can find laughter in the challenges presented by life. Save your money....there are many other inspirational books that will actually have some impact.

Rating:
Summary: Yeah -- A Definite FIVE STAR!
Review: My wife bought this book after she saw the author on the Today Show. She read it in one sitting and when she was done she told me I had to read it. I didn't want to but I've been going through some stuff and figured why not. All I can say is, after reading this book, my problems seemed so small. I realized that no matter what, if you have a positive attitude your gonna be okay. Linda Richman deserves a medal. Thank you.

Rating:
Summary: 10 STARS FOR LINDA
Review: i cannot imagine that i have never met this woman.. she talks a book. i had the most wonderful time reading this truly magnificent womans life story. i felt i was sitting across a table with her. her warmth and charm and utter honesty is breathtaking. she has been through so much and has come out in tact. what i loved the most is her ability to show her flaws and enjoy them. she makes no excuses for anything that she has done in response to the difficulties shes faced. i'm always apologzing for my behavior. i wish i was more like her. shes simply complex and yet can tell a story with such simplicity. she has given me such hope for what we humans can withstand and yet still come out laughing. her message is universal and easy to read. you will laugh, you will cry. you will come away from this read feeling so good. what more can you ask of a good book?

Rating:
Summary: Grab a box of Kleenex and a box of Depends!
Review: You're gonna need the Kleenex for chapter four, Losing Jordan, but you'll recover when you slap on the Depends for the Pity Party! This book is incredible, as Ms Richman tells the story of her life, from growing up in a dysfunctional family, not even knowing that her father was dead until she was a teenager, to being agoraphobic and married to a compulsive gambler, to the most tragic event of all, losing her only son in a car accident. Ms Richman is a testament to how a person can survive life's worst cruelties, and rise above them. If you have known any pain in your life, I suggest you read I'd Rather Laugh. You will understand that you aren't alone, and Linda Richman will linger in your mind long after you finish the last page.