Carnival is the day when Germans laugh, quips cabaret artist Volker Pispers. It wouldn't just be sad; it would be unhealthy if we subjected ourselves to the seriousness of life for the remaining 364 days under the motto: "Fun aside!" The serious science of laughter, with its respect-commanding name gelotology, believes to know that the average person today and in this country only manages a laugh quota of a miserable 6 minutes per day. Don't have anything to laugh about? Mark Twain responds: "Nothing amuses me more than when I laugh at myself." Of course, that's not the only solution. In this book, you will find numerous other recipes and tips to bring a liberating smile to your face. The reading aims to encourage the cultivation of a laughter culture. Not only is there a secret behind the smile of the Mona Lisa, but also behind all of our smiles.