Perfect for truthseekers of all ages

I love a solid, scientifically well-researched book on anything, but I had never come across one on Santa. This book is filled with science, humor and answers. My 7 year old son and I highly recommend it. ( )

This is a very funny book and much of the technology the author posits is quite plausible. That being said, I was disappointed. There is much blue humor in the book. While I don't object to that, I found it misplaced here as I was hoping that this would be something I could share with younger members of my family. Also, and perhaps more to the point, it really feels more like a technology book and less like a Christmas book. ( )

This is a fake history book in the vein of John Hodgman, i.e. very funny and told with an air of complete plausibility. However, there is quite a lot of not-made-up science involved. Not enough to makes one's head spin, but enough to make me wish there was a bibliography at the back so I could explore the articles the author read on human hibernation and organ printing. Be certain that once the holiday season rolls around next, I will be sharing these true facts on Santa with anyone who will listen. ( )

I was all set to enjoy this book.

How could I go wrong? It was supposedly a humorous collection of pseudo-scientific facts about Santa. I love Santa. I love Christmas. And I rather enjoy humorous collections of pseudo-scientific facts. I mean, even the cover looks entertaining.

Unfortunately... I was disappointed.

This book had several problems. For a start, the fact that it's presented as "humorous". It really isn't humorous. That is, unless you find the idea of Santa's wife being extraordinarily unfaithful or Santa having a drinking problem "humorous". Now, don't get me wrong -- those two subjects CAN potentially be funny, if they are presented right... but they weren't. They just came across as kind of sad.

Secondly... what is the audience of this book? I assumed, upon picking it up, that it was probably for children or teens -- probably the kind of thing that you present, as a joke, to a kid who no longer believes in Santa. However, as the above themes seem to indicate, I don't think it's appropriate for children OR teens.

Thirdly... there are questionable moral issues that are improperly dealt with. Not just the adultery and alcohol abuse -- but subjects like cloning and brainwash and murder.

Fourthly.... even though it had a lot of pseudo-scientific facts as I mentioned, they were presented in such a way that they were BORING!

Fifth... it just didn't put me in a Christmassy mood.

I won't say that the book was ENTIRELY bad. It did have some interesting things in it... Like, the fact that if Santa really did visit every child in the world, spending an average of about thirty seconds in each house with NO travel time in between, it would take him somewhere in the area of two-hundred years to complete one round. (I wonder about things like that.) However, reading this entire book simply isn't worth the trouble if all you're going to come away with is a couple random tidbits of info.

Unless you rather dislike Santa and want to go on disliking him (and aren't put off by pages of boring jargon), I don't recommend picking up this book. ( )

Can you say "too much of a good thing?"

I love the premise of this book...to scientifically explain the existence of Santa Claus. But reading, I found that while I did enjoy it...the premise just didn't justify an entire book. ( )