How did death camp inmates such as Viktor Frankl, Elie Wiesel and Bruno Bettelheim not only survive Nazi captivity, but create lives of hopefulness? How does one find purpose for one's life after the death of a beloved child? How can the prisoner in maximum security hope to come out a better person despite the degradation and brutality of confinement? How can ordinary folks carve meaning in their lives in times of economic hardship and quarantines? Living Is No Laughing Matter, A Primer on Existential Optimism offers us some possible answers. Written by a beloved teacher and lecturer who has presented his ideas and experiences in over thirty countries to university scholars and high school students as well as to recovering addicts and incarcerated audiences, Michael Hogan's work is a must