Four

In this nonfiction article, the author discusses some of the benefits of laughter. 1. How realistic do you find the scenario of this piece's first paragraph? 2. According to the author, what are some of the health benefits of laughter? 3. According to the author, what are the three targets of humor? Which of these targets are good, and which are bad? 4. Why do you think people laugh less as they grow older? 5. Based on the health benefits of laughter to one's health, what might be the effects of the opposite, anger?

Comedy Monologue by Sinbad 1. What were some of the method's Sinbad's mother used to save money? 2. Do you think that as a child, Sinbad saw the humor in the various situations he describes, or is this purely an adult's perspective? 3. How do you think Sinbad really felt about his parent's money-saving techniques when he was a boy? 4. How might the fact that Sinbad's father was a preacher have affected Sinbad's life? 5. Some readers may believe that in "Money: Too Tight to Mention" Sinbad makes fun of poor people. Do you agree or disagree? Why?

Compare & Contrast Writing Exercise: Like David Brenner, author of //Fish Eyes,// Sinbad deals with his family's situation using comedy. Write a detailed paragraph that discusses the similarities and differences between Brenner's and Sinbad's stories.