...but I couldn't wait for this book to be over. Her blanket statements in each chapter really got on my nerves, i.e. "Food has almost become poison in our society. We never come home to great smells simmering on the stove anymore." How does she know this? Or, "now it's always the phone or the answering machine. People get home and head right for the machine." Um, maybe it's because we want to hear who called? Loretta says she "finally realized that trying to be thin is at odds with my Sicilian roots.". Hm...sounds like she just doesn't want to cut back her food portions and exercise more. Her life seems to have been really messed up, and it seems like she overcame her obstacles with her brand of "humor", but her writing did not inspire me, and her "hilarious" stories didn't make me laugh. One star.

I checked this book out of the library to help me during a depression. I'd already watched Loretta's video, "The Joy of Stress" during treadmill workouts and laughed myself silly. Periodically bursting out laughing while reading "Relax--You May Have Only a Few Minutes Left" I decided to buy the book. Loretta's wit and humor are excellent tools to help reframe a negative focus, and to look at things in a more positive light even by accepting the absurdity around us. While Loretta's insights are remarkably simple they are also profound, particularly in the way they inspire change within us. With Loretta's help I've found that laughing is way more fun than whining!