The fiction and nonfiction in this eclectic collection explore the human condition with humor and compassion. The author's optimistic and uplifting outlook on life leaves the reader with a smile at the end of each story or article. A Confederate private, a famous Union general, a seventy-year-old man who thinks he was abducted by aliens, a reluctant bride, a widow whose behavior causes a scandal in her small town - these are some of the characters who inhabit the fictional stories. The nonfiction pieces take a humorous look at a variety of subjects: flying advice for cowards, women's fear of snakes, the problem of cholesterol, how to deal with a snoring spouse, the author's politics, family relationships. A few of the essays elicit tears as well as smiles.