This Won't Hurt A Bit! And Other Fractured Truths in Healthcare, by Karyn Buxman. Hannibal, MO: LaMoine Press; 2000. 96 pages, paperback, $11.95.

This book is categorized on the back cover as humor, medical, and health care. Although it resulted as a compilation of a number of contributions from those providing and receiving health care, its intention seems to be for any reader seeking the lighter side of health care, life in general. Karyn Buxman's compilation of quips, anecdotes, short stories, jokes, rhymes, poems, and all else that it entails is a must have for anyone seeking a good hearty laugh.

This Won't Hurt a Bit! And Other Fractured Truths in Healthcare provides enough variety for any reader, except the humorless. Each section is filled with lighthearted stories and other examples of what one might experience on either side of the health care transaction. As the book opens, it explains how it came about and introduces the reader to what is to be expected, making sure to mention that the book need not be read from cover to cover. Immediately the reader feels welcomed. Along with the variety of readings it contains, a problem-solving flowchart, a mindbender game, and a number of cartoons. I found the cartoons amusing, complimentary to the reading, and clearly to the point. One can thumb through the book and find that the cartoons alone call out to them. The chapter headings including, "Never a Dull Moment," "It Only Hurts When I Laugh," and "A Spoonful of Laughter Helps the Medicine Go Down," introduce the reader to pages filled with fun and laughter. The last page of the book, "About the Author," gives a brief background of Buxman; it too brings about a chuckle.

This book demonstrates a contemporary approach to dealing with health care. The front cover is an eye catcher, and along with the back, it gives the prospective reader a good idea of what to expect. The book contains funny situations that may either bring forth a vivid mental picture or remind the reader of their own experience. It is affordable, compact, and easy to use. This collection of humor demonstrated Buxman's emphasis on the use of humor to get one through even the cloudiest circumstances.

I really appreciated this book. I found it to be funny, informal, and truly refreshing. It made me laugh aloud on more than one occasion. This Won't Hurt a Bit! would be an asset to any health care provider waiting room and a great addition to any hospital bedside table. I can imagine it being used as a means to help alleviate some of the "white coat anxiety" that many people experience when interacting with their health care providers. I also see it as a "quick fix" to an extremely hectic day known to a great number of health care personnel. If one does not laugh heartily at least once while reading any part of this book, their needs might definitely be above and beyond what modern medicine can do for them.