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abe25's review against another edition
5.0
I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11690816
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/11690816
albatrossonhalfpointe's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
2.5
A quick, fun read, but pretty outdated at this point. If there's an updated version or a similar book written more recently, that's probably a better bet.
calarco's review against another edition
2.0
Sadly, this was not the Christmas treat I was hoping for; I got this book over a decade ago thinking it would be a fun exploration of a holiday from a scientific perspective. After finally reading it I found it to be a boring hodgepodge of mostly nonsense.
For something that is called The Physics of Christmas, physics is not really discussed in great depth until chapter 11, "Santa's Science." Instead it contains snippets of anthropology, sociology, chemistry, religious studies, history, psychology, and astrology to explain different arbitrary xmas-y themes.
This may just be a pet peeve of mine, but I felt that many of these concepts were poorly developed given their shallow setups, and worse they were poorly cited. If you do not cite your sources, or at least provide the proper context for them, it is really hard for the work to come off as anything more than glittery bullshit.
I also found it to be quite boring, but that is a matter of personal preference. A good litmus test - if you find the following quote fun and whimsical, ignore my critiques. If you find this quote to be dry and tedious, then you probably also won't like this book, "Ritual alcoholic abuse of the body has gone on for thousands of years, thanks to one of the most ancient techniques of biotechnology--the fermentation of fruit and grain by activity of fungi called yeasts" (188). There you go.
I'll admit I've probably been spoiled by too much greatly produced PBS content, so maybe I'm nitpicky. I know Highfield wanted to negate the notion that quantifying something magical would detract the experience, but sadly I don't think he succeeded. I was demystified. Anyways, this book is on my naughty list, but feel free to decide for yourself.
For something that is called The Physics of Christmas, physics is not really discussed in great depth until chapter 11, "Santa's Science." Instead it contains snippets of anthropology, sociology, chemistry, religious studies, history, psychology, and astrology to explain different arbitrary xmas-y themes.
This may just be a pet peeve of mine, but I felt that many of these concepts were poorly developed given their shallow setups, and worse they were poorly cited. If you do not cite your sources, or at least provide the proper context for them, it is really hard for the work to come off as anything more than glittery bullshit.
I also found it to be quite boring, but that is a matter of personal preference. A good litmus test - if you find the following quote fun and whimsical, ignore my critiques. If you find this quote to be dry and tedious, then you probably also won't like this book, "Ritual alcoholic abuse of the body has gone on for thousands of years, thanks to one of the most ancient techniques of biotechnology--the fermentation of fruit and grain by activity of fungi called yeasts" (188). There you go.
I'll admit I've probably been spoiled by too much greatly produced PBS content, so maybe I'm nitpicky. I know Highfield wanted to negate the notion that quantifying something magical would detract the experience, but sadly I don't think he succeeded. I was demystified. Anyways, this book is on my naughty list, but feel free to decide for yourself.
sfahrney's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting overview of various symbols and associations with Christmas. Using physics, logic, science and history to learn about traditional customs from a different perspective. I enjoyed the read.
catherine_t's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating... this is the third time I've read this book, and it still fascinates me. The chemistry and thermodynamics of the simple act of cooking a turkey... how alcohol takes its toll on the body... and best of all, how Santa gets to all those chimneys in one night by using quantum mechanics, quantum physics, and possibly even bioengineering! The science is solid, if the subject is ethereal. Great fun!
dan1066's review against another edition
4.0
I have been investigating the science of Christmas for more than a decade. When I first began to take an interest in the subject, I was unprepared for the breadth and depth of the insights that would eventually emerge. Take those flying reindeer, Santa’s red and white color scheme, and his jolly disposition, for example. They are all probably linked to the use of a hallucinogenic toadstool in ancient rituals.
Published in 1998 (and I’m not sure if an updated edition ever hit the stands since), Roger Highfield’s The Physics of Christmas: From the Aerodynamics of Reindeer to the Thermodynamics of Turkey purports to quantify the yuletide season. Based on a series of articles he published in The Daily Telegraph, Highfield merges scientific principals with Christmas traditions, answering such pressing questions as how Santa’s sleigh and delivery service can be scientifically feasible, what astronomical event guided the magi, what biological principals dictate Santa’s girth, and how does seasonal drinking affect the body.
Highfield use of the term “physics” in his title is inaccurate; he should have titled this collection The Science of Christmas since he favors biology and sociology over chemistry and physics. His forays into the realm of physics are few. He strives to be funny and clever, but rephrasing cliches using ten-dollar science terms stales quickly. Highfield also keeps the science rather simple. His attempts to explain quantum theories are fuzzy; I could almost see the high school text at his elbow as he tries to make sense of the material and apply it to some aspect of Christmas. It’s interesting, but it doesn’t always work.
The highlight of the work, for me, was Appendix 3: “Is Faith Good for You?” Highfield, building on some information he used for his chapter on seasonal affective disorder, provides a survey of studies into whether or not “those who respect religious traditions, and presumably those who take Christmas seriously, expect a healthier life.” The findings are hardly conclusive, but they are intriguing:
In several studies involving hundreds of subjects, he has found that people who embrace what could be called “the sinners in the hands of an angry God” model do indeed have poorer mental health outcomes. People who feel hostility toward God, believe they’re being punished for their sins, or perceive a lack of emotional support from their church or synagogue typically suffer more distress, anxiety, and depression. By contrast, people who embrace the “loving God” model see God as a partner who works with them to resolve problems…They enjoy more positive mental health outcomes…
Finally, I decided to reread this work after 22 years because of the final chapter: “Christmas 2020.” Basically, Highfield’s prediction is rooted in William Gibson’s [b:Neuromancer|6088007|Neuromancer (Sprawl, #1)|William Gibson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554437249l/6088007._SY75_.jpg|909457], written more than a decade before him. His Christmas 2020 consists of dirigibles streaming advertisements floating past 200 floor apartment buildings while inside tenants don VR headsets and shop with avatars. One aspect, though, is eerily accurate: “Later came the highlight of the celebrations: a Highfield family virtual reunion.” Granted, Highfield posits Disney’s Imagineers are able to provide a full-sensory virtual environment for the family, but how many families, due to COVID (and a pandemic is not foreseen), met with loved ones via Zoom or Google Meets or Skype? Highfield also notes “experts used to predict that Christmas shopping at virtual stores would be a lonely affair.” For me, at least, online Christmas shopping is hardly a “lonely affair” so much as a “necessary affair” in dealing with the pandemic. All in all, I don't want Highfield’s future Christmas. It seems, ironically, implausible and dated.
This book is interesting, but be aware it’s the literary equivalent of click-bait. It’s a series of vignettes and anecdotes with a light sprinkle of science. For science teachers, it provides some interesting examples from the holiday season to explain basic science principals, but you’re not going to finish this book vastly more scientifically literate than when you started. Rather, you’ll have some amusing anecdotes to share around the punch bowl or on Zoom.
Published in 1998 (and I’m not sure if an updated edition ever hit the stands since), Roger Highfield’s The Physics of Christmas: From the Aerodynamics of Reindeer to the Thermodynamics of Turkey purports to quantify the yuletide season. Based on a series of articles he published in The Daily Telegraph, Highfield merges scientific principals with Christmas traditions, answering such pressing questions as how Santa’s sleigh and delivery service can be scientifically feasible, what astronomical event guided the magi, what biological principals dictate Santa’s girth, and how does seasonal drinking affect the body.
Highfield use of the term “physics” in his title is inaccurate; he should have titled this collection The Science of Christmas since he favors biology and sociology over chemistry and physics. His forays into the realm of physics are few. He strives to be funny and clever, but rephrasing cliches using ten-dollar science terms stales quickly. Highfield also keeps the science rather simple. His attempts to explain quantum theories are fuzzy; I could almost see the high school text at his elbow as he tries to make sense of the material and apply it to some aspect of Christmas. It’s interesting, but it doesn’t always work.
The highlight of the work, for me, was Appendix 3: “Is Faith Good for You?” Highfield, building on some information he used for his chapter on seasonal affective disorder, provides a survey of studies into whether or not “those who respect religious traditions, and presumably those who take Christmas seriously, expect a healthier life.” The findings are hardly conclusive, but they are intriguing:
In several studies involving hundreds of subjects, he has found that people who embrace what could be called “the sinners in the hands of an angry God” model do indeed have poorer mental health outcomes. People who feel hostility toward God, believe they’re being punished for their sins, or perceive a lack of emotional support from their church or synagogue typically suffer more distress, anxiety, and depression. By contrast, people who embrace the “loving God” model see God as a partner who works with them to resolve problems…They enjoy more positive mental health outcomes…
Finally, I decided to reread this work after 22 years because of the final chapter: “Christmas 2020.” Basically, Highfield’s prediction is rooted in William Gibson’s [b:Neuromancer|6088007|Neuromancer (Sprawl, #1)|William Gibson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554437249l/6088007._SY75_.jpg|909457], written more than a decade before him. His Christmas 2020 consists of dirigibles streaming advertisements floating past 200 floor apartment buildings while inside tenants don VR headsets and shop with avatars. One aspect, though, is eerily accurate: “Later came the highlight of the celebrations: a Highfield family virtual reunion.” Granted, Highfield posits Disney’s Imagineers are able to provide a full-sensory virtual environment for the family, but how many families, due to COVID (and a pandemic is not foreseen), met with loved ones via Zoom or Google Meets or Skype? Highfield also notes “experts used to predict that Christmas shopping at virtual stores would be a lonely affair.” For me, at least, online Christmas shopping is hardly a “lonely affair” so much as a “necessary affair” in dealing with the pandemic. All in all, I don't want Highfield’s future Christmas. It seems, ironically, implausible and dated.
This book is interesting, but be aware it’s the literary equivalent of click-bait. It’s a series of vignettes and anecdotes with a light sprinkle of science. For science teachers, it provides some interesting examples from the holiday season to explain basic science principals, but you’re not going to finish this book vastly more scientifically literate than when you started. Rather, you’ll have some amusing anecdotes to share around the punch bowl or on Zoom.
kaylana's review against another edition
3.0
The first few chapters were fun and enlightening. The whole book is a bit of whimsy, actually. But Highfield obviously had a lot of fun writing and researching this book. But I don't know if you can really call it science. Not my favorite but a good holiday read.
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