Christmas in July

If any of you have the chance to read this book, I highly recommend it.  I've been reading it, off and on, for the last 6 months.  Recently I've been using it to burn through those pesky 30 minute waits at the doctor's office, as my body decides if my allergy shot is going to kill me.  (Judging from some of the welts, it's been a close call.  But I diverge.  Back to the book.)

I thought I'd share a paragraph that completely sums up what I like about this book.

Enter the bee. "What we can smell, honeybees can smell.  There is not a big difference," explains German scientist Randolf Menzel.  This is good news for smell research, for there are plenty of things you can do to a bee that you dare not do to a human. 
The Physics of Christmas, Roger Highfield, pg 197.

Highfield expertly combines research from many different disciplines in an entertaining and witty explanation of what is really going on during the holidays (at least science wise, no one understands aunt Imogen's fruit cake).  Everyone needs to read this book.  How can we have a functioning society if everyone doesn't know about Santa's genetics, the trippin' reindeer under his command, or what King Tut's beer tasted like?!