Getting the Better of Stress With Humor

“Relax: You May Only Have a Few Minutes Left”

By Lora LaRoche

Random House Audiobooks

Abridged nonfiction

Two cassettes

3 hours

$18

Read by the author

Highly enjoyable and informative, this is a wonderful example of an audio working better than the printed book. This is because the author is a scream. A member of the faculty of the Mind/Body Medical Institute in Boston, Lora LaRoche has a scratchy voice and the highly energetic delivery of a comedian. It is for good reason she has been dubbed “the Erma Bombeck of stress.” Her blunt approach and deadpan humor are mere tools for stress-reducing techniques rooted in common sense. She peppers her ideas with personal tales as illustration. Her eccentric Sicilian grandparents and a guilt-producing mama all factor into this memorable, highly effective self-help audio.

“A Guide to Alternative Self-Healing Techniques for Cancer”

By Dr. William Collinge

Audio Renaissance

Original material

Two cassettes

90 minutes

$16.95

Read by the author

William Collinge, who trained at the Mind/Body Medical Institute, offers a most practical and proactive approach to disease. He spends about 15 minutes explaining how the mind can help heal the body, followed by deep-breathing and relaxation techniques. The second cassette is an easy-to-follow “hypnotic journey to meet your Inner Healer.”

Collinge always sounds natural. This is in stark contrast to many readers who talk down to their listeners with a phony, overly sweet style. He is soothing and comforting, making you feel as if something is being accomplished. Other audios in this series are “Heart Disease and Hypertension” and “Stress Reduction.”