The Physics of Christmas by Roger Highfield (Hardbound)

NOTE: Image below is for reference only. Actual copy is the hardbound version.

Format: Hardbound, no dustjacket as issued

Condition: vg- condition, minor shelf wear, light edge browning

Size: 5.0"x7.75"

Pages: 304pp

Can reindeer fly? Why is Santa Claus fat? Was the Star of Bethlehem really a comet? Will scientists succeed in creating the perfect Christmas tree by cloning? How do snowflakes form, and what could we do to guarantee an annual white Christmas? How does Santa manage to deliver presents to an estimated 842 million households in a single night? Why is Rudolphs nose red? These are among the questions explored in an irresistibly witty book that illuminates the cherished rituals, legends, and icons of Christmas from a unique and fascinating perspective: science. Just what the elves ordered.... Highfield is the best sort of guide: he is brimming with facts, but he doesnt use them to bludgeon the mystery out of Christmas.

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In The Physics of Christmas, award-winning science journalist D. Roger Highfield acts as a guiding spirit to everyone's favorite holiday, illuminating Christmas by viewing its many cherished rituals and icons from a new and fascinating perspective: science. Calling upon the latest research in chemistry, mathematics, genetics, anthropology, physics, psychology, and astronomy, Highfield explores such questions as these: Could reindeer really fly? How do snowflakes form, and what could scientists do to guarantee an annual white Christmas? Is there a biological reason that so many people prefer not to eat Brussels sprouts at Christmas dinner? Why is Santa so obese? Why are we so frequently depressed after the holiday season?