Laughter: A Scientific Investigation

Do men and women laugh at the same things?
Is laughter contagious?
Has anyone ever really died laughing?
Is laughing good for your health?

Drawing upon ten years of research into this most common-yet complex and often puzzling-human phenomenon, Dr. Robert Provine, the world's leading scientific expert on laughter, investigates such aspects of his subject as its evolution, its role in social relationships, its contagiousness, its neural mechanisms, and its health benefits. This is an erudite, wide-ranging, witty, and long-overdue exploration of a frequently surprising subject.


About the Author
Robert R. Provine has authored more than fifty research articles concerning developmental neuroscience and animal and human behavior. He has appeared on Good Morning America, ABC World News Tonight, 20/20, and Scientific American Frontiers.