Ask most people about the healing power of laughter and most will say, “Of course!” The first time the general public heard of it was in Saturday Review editor Norman Cousins’ 1979 book Anatomy of an Illness. It is publisher-described as a “best-selling, groundbreaking classic by Norman Cousins on combating life-threatening illness through humor and patient participation in care. . . It started the revolution in patients working with their doctors and using humor to boost their bodies’ capacity for healing.” Read more.