Amazon.com
John Grisham turns a satirical eye on the overblown ritual of the festive holiday season, and the result is Skipping Christmas, a modest but funny novel about the tyranny of December 25. Grisham's story revolves around a typical middle-aged American couple, Luther and Nora Krank. On the first Sunday after Thanksgiving they wave their daughter Blair off to Peru to work for the Peace Corps, and they suddenly realize that "for the first time in her young and sheltered life Blair would spend Christmas away from home."

Luther Krank sees his daughter's Christmas absence as an opportunity. He estimates that "a year earlier, the Luther Krank family had spent $6,100 on Christmas," and have "precious little to show for it." So he makes an executive decision, telling his wife, friends, and neighbors that "we won't do Christmas." Instead, Luther books a 10-day Caribbean cruise. But things start to turn nasty when horrified neighbors get wind of the Krank's subversive scheme and besiege the couple with questions about their decision.

Grisham builds up a funny but increasingly terrifying picture of how thistight-knit community turns on the Kranks, who find themselves under increasing pressure to conform. As the tension mounts, readers may wonder whether they will manage to board their plane on Christmas day. Skipping Christmas is Grisham-lite, with none of the serious action or drama of his legal thrillers, but a funny poke at the craziness of Christmas. --Jerry Brotton, Amazon.co.ukBook Description
Luther and Nora Krank are fed up with the chaos of Christmas. The endless shopping lists, the frenzied dashes through the mall, the hassle of decorating the tree... where has all the joy gone? This year, celebrating seems like too much effort. With their only child off in Peru, they decide that just this once, they'll skip the holidays. They spend their Christmas budget on a Caribbean cruise set to sail on December 25, and happily settle in for a restful holiday season free of rooftop snowmen and festive parties.

But the Kranks soon learn that their vacation from Christmas isn't much of a vacation at all, and that skipping the holidays has consequences they didn't bargain for...

A modern Christmas classic, Skipping Christmas is a charming and hilarious look at the mayhem and madness that have become ingrained in our holiday tradition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (902)

Skipping Christmas Book Review
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to skip Christmas? Just think: no crowded malls, no unwanted gifts, and no stress. Well, in this fun-filled novel by John Grisham, Luther and Nora Krank try to find out what it would really be like. Skipping Christmas is a fiction book all about when Blair, the Kranks daughter, takes off for the Peace Corps, so the Kranks decide to take a break from Christmas this year. They have a Caribbean cruise booked to leave Christmas day, but the Kranks will soon learn that skipping Christmas isn't as easy as they had thought.

This is a wonderful book and it is suited for all ages. It is filled with all thecomedy, and a little bit of the drama that comes around during the holidays. I think it is very interesting to see how all the neighbors react when they find out the Kranks do not plan to celebrate Christmas this year. I thought this was an excellent book and I guarantee many people will also enjoy it.

Skipping Christmas Review
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to skip Christmas? Just think: no crowded malls, no unwanted gifts, and no stress. Well, in this fun-filled novel by John Grisham, Luther and Nora Krank try to find out what it would really be like. Skipping Christmas is a fiction book all about when Blair, the Kranks daughter, takes off for the Peace Corps, so the Kranks decide to take a break from Christmas this year. They have a Caribbean cruise booked to leave Christmas day, but the Kranks will soon learn that skipping Christmas isn't as easy and they had thought.

This is a wonderful book and it is suited for all ages. It is filled withall thecomedy, and a little bit of the drama, that comes around during the holidays. I think it is very interesting to how all the neighbors react when they find out the Kranks do not plan to celebrate Christmas this year. I thought this was an excellent book and I guarantee many people will also enjoy it.

A De-LITE-ful Holiday Read
Since Grisham is usually associated with nail biting, gripping stories, Skipping Christmas may be something of a surprise to those unfamiliar with the book.

Skipping Christmas is lite reading at its best.The story is entertaining and the humor is just right.Haven't we all felt at one time or another like skipping the hectic holiday season with all its demands on time and the pocket book?Grisham delivers a well crafted story that most readers will be able to relate to.

NOT lite reading, but another great Christmas book:Christmas Gifts, Christmas Voices.

Skip the book--
i'm shocked that so many people enjoyed this book.I found it poorly written, predictable and redundent.If you are considering reading this book spend some time reading the people who gave it only one star. They seem to have a clear handle on why it's not worth your time reading this book.

Light Christmas reading....don't agree with recent review
I just read this book for a second time, yesterday. It's a Christmas book with a message but it's not a serious book and shouldn't be taken that way.

I found Tina's (Maldive, Indian Ocean) comment below, 'over the top'. Come on....I don't for a minute believe that the references to skin color were meant to be racist, in any way. John Grisham is not that kind of person/author, even if he was, would he be spouting off his racial beliefs in a 'fluff' book like this? I don't think so.

His references to skin color are about the Krank's trying to hide their recent tanning sessions, in prep. for the upcoming cruise and trying to keep this from their daughter. I won't spoil the plot but Tina, at least in my opinion, is reading way too much into this part of the book. There are so many really racist comments and books out there to worry about, Skipping Christmas is not one of them. ... Read more

Book Description
In Skipping Towards Gomorrah, Dan Savage eviscerates the right-wing conservatives as he commits each of the Seven Deadly Sins himself (or tries to) and finds those everyday Americans who take particular delight in their sinful pursuits. Among them:

Greed: Gamblers reveal secrets behind outrageous fortune.
Lust: "We're swingers!"-you won't believe who's doing it.
Anger: Texans shoot off some rounds and then listen to Dan fire off on his own about guns, gun control, and the Second Amendment.

Combine a unique history of the Seven Deadly Sins, a new interpretation of the biblical stories of Sodom and Gomorrah, and enough Bill Bennett, Robert Bork, Pat Buchanan, Dr. Laura, and Bill O'Reilly bashing to more than make up for their incessant carping, and you've got the most provocative book of the fall. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (59)

No new insights
Dan savage is not afraid to point out that the emperor has no clothes (and he should certainly get credit for that), but there was nothing particularly clever about this book. It has little educational value. It is a fun book to read but it lacks any new insights. The 7 sins framework was creative.

Telling it like it is
I would give the book four stars, but I LOVE Dan Savage...so five it is.If you enjoy Dan's witty and urbane brand of humor then I recommend this book!

A very thought provoking book
I bought this book back in the spring of 2004 after seeing it on the shelves at the local bookstore off and on for months and I'm glad I did as I'm first well familiar with his columns [...] I was familiar with his writing style and his refreshingly honest replies and he certainly doesn't dissapoint here despite his toning down some.

That toning down in many ways keeps the book from being too much of a soap box for his views and thusly less strident to boot, which is a good thing as while it still gets strident at times, it's not objectionable.

And having just read all 56 reviews (as of this review), one that is virtually missed by all of them is that some king actually came up with the seven deadly sins, I think loosely based on the 10 commandments. For starters, sloth (sleep) is something we all need to do, but too much of it is not always good for us. A fellow at my church who teaches theology at a local college said that the 7 deadly sins really should be a take it or leave thing, that is, you can believe in them or not since they do not really follow the teachings of the Bible and it's 10 commandments all that closely.

What I found as I read this book is how Fundamentalist thinking has permeated much of our society and that's sad and on the chapter of gluttony and Dan's trip to San Franciso for a fat acceptance conference revealed just that very well. Example, a nurse seems to be contradictory in her views when she says we've all exercised by moving our arms 3 times that morning! Also, how so many of the fat chicks who were supposidly accepting of their fatness could barely get around and many were wheelchair bound as a result and one group admitted they come for the socializing and nothing more and really do not eat much of the food that is there. "It's the old do as I say, not as I do" mentality that I saw through much of this book as Dan takes us on a journey to discover these so called deadly sins for himself.

And that's just what makes this book so well written is his individual look at each and every one of those 7 sins and reveals them for what they are, hypocritical in many ways, especially in how they are persued by many.

In the chapter on lust where he meets the swingers group, the parents do out and "wife" swap at these events and one thing that I noticed is how they do not discuss this around their children but gladly persue these activities themselves and at these events, I found a discrepency in and of itself. The men are told to dress appropriately, that is, shirt and shorts while the women can be as provocative as they want and in the minds of the organizers, to make women feel as safe as possible. I saw that as hypocritical and it's no wonder that many straight men feel hamstrung, it's this kind of attitude that seems to permeate society in many areas and that's the point Dan ended up uncovering in his quest and in the end, takes a sharp aim squarely in the space between the eyes of the "virtuecrats" as he calls them, the Borks, Buchannans, the Slesengers etc who want us to not have any fun, even if it's not harming others and in the end, exposes the hypocrasy of these activities at the same time.

I will contend some of the chapters could've been a little stronger in his conclusions but in the end, he's very honest about what he saw and experienced and that in and of itself makes it a good read. Definatly not for the faint of heart however.

It's best to err on the side of avoiding incestuous handjobs
Best quote, among thousands of jewels, from Dan Savage.

A couple of years ago, I went on vacation with a bunch of friends to a beach resort town in South Africa.Clear blue water, white sand, skimpy bathing suits on lovely people of both sexes.Should have been a wild time, right?Well, it wasn't, at least for the first few days, because I brought along Skipping Towards Gomorrah for my beach-book.I already knew I loved Dan, and thought I could just dip into Skipping whenever I felt like a rest.Ha!Once I started, I was way too into it to stop for much of anything.And, of course, all my friends were constantly running back from the ocean to see what the hell I was laughing at.The elevator scene in the Gluttony chapter can still send me into fits.I had to buy a new copy once I got back to the States, as mine "mysteriously" disappeared.I know whoever stole it from me enjoyed it as much as I did, and hope they're passing it round to everyone they know, and even some strangers.

Wildy funny, wildy intelligent, wildy inappropriate, wildy shocking, wildly fun
There's a certain audience for Dan Savage's tough brand of over-the-edge liberal humor, and if you are in that group, then this book is a delicious treat.If you wouldn't normally read his advice column, then avoid this book.Fortunately, I fall in the former category, and I adored his book!

Savage's opening chapter is a scathing and very intelligent attack on the morality of the right wing.It was so brilliant, I found myself wanting to underline every other paragraph as a memorable quote.It definitely had me pumped up for the rest of the book.

As for the rest...Savage's plan is to experience and explore every one of the seven deadly sins.Some chapters come off stronger than others.The gambling and lust chapters are absolutely brilliant.Savage plan to explore anger by shooting a gun was a little weak to me--not everyone who shoots a gun is angry.But the gun experience was so eye-opening for both Savage
and the reader that it was worth it.

One of the real winners is Savage's exploration of gay pride, why it exists, what it means for the participants and for the audience, and more.In his columns, Savage has repeatedly railed against rainbow-flag wavers, so his insights on the topic are fasnicating.He points out that St. Patrick's day parades are the original minority group pride event, an assertion of identity by a group everyone else wanted to be quiet.Is that so different from a gay pride parade?"Who knows?Maybe one day everyone will be gay on gay pride day, just as we're all Irish on Saint Patrick's Day."

Savage goes to some extremes to prove his point, but overall, this is an intelligent, funny, offbeat look at the topic of morality in America. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

"Skipping Christmas," Sounds Like Trouble
If you've ever heard the phrase "skipping Christmas," you probably think that whoever said it was crazy. That is exactly how people reacted when the Kranks decided to simply skip Christmas. How can you skip Christmas you ask? The Kranks just didn't buy all the gifts, food, or put Frosty on the roof. Instead they decided to go on a diet and a get a tan. Until they received a phone call from a very unexpected guest, then things really started to heat up. John Grisham was pure genius to write such an absurd idea as he did in Skipping Christmas.
I personally thought the story was a little dull and crazy, but funny toward the end. I'd give it four stars, because getting into it was a little hard and not written for my age group. All adults should read it. It gives you a different perspective on why we celebrate the holidays and put others first. I would say it shows one thing not to do during the holiday season, because it causes too much confusion on everyone's part. Try it and see if you like it, and if you don't you can tell others why it's trouble to simply skip Christmas.

laughting yourself through Christmas
Laugh yourself through a small novel unlike nothing Grisham has
ever written before.This book is similar to "Lampoon's Christmas" with a different twist.A couple bids their only daughter goodbye for a one year stint in the Peace Corps. They decide to avoid all the hastles of celebrating Christmas this year by taking a cruise.If I told you anymore, I'd give it away!!The book is fast paced, funny, ends with a tear, and would be a great gift for anyone, especially those suffering from "empty nest syndrome" for the first time.

CHRISTMAS IS EVEN MORE SPECIAL
A GREAT APPRECIATION OF THE HOLIDAY HUSTLE WILL OVERCOME YOU AS YOU LAUGH AND GRIN THROUGHOUT SKIPPING CHRISTMAS. ALL THE NUIANCES OF THE HOLIDAYS BLARE OUT FROM THIS NOVEL AND MIX WITH REAL LIFE. WHEN YOU ARE FINISHED READING THIS YOU CRAVE ANOTHER HOLIDAY NOVEL BY GRISHAM. ... Read more

Book Description

More frisbees are sold each year than baseballs, basketballs and footballs combined. Yet these familiar flying objects have subtle and clever aerodynamic and gyrodynamic properties which are only recently being documented by wind tunnel and other studies. In common with other rotating bodies discussed in this readily accessible book, they are typically not treated in textbooks of aeronautics and the literature is scattered in a variety of places. This book develops the theme of disc-wings and spinning aerospace vehicles in parallel. Since many of the examples are recreational, anyone who enjoys these activities will likely find it profitable and enjoyable. In addition to spinning objects of various shapes, several exotic manned aircraft with disc planforms have been proposed and a prototypes builtthese include a Nazi secret weapon and the De Havilland Avrocar, also discussed in the book. Boomerangs represent another category of spinning aerodynamic body whose behavior can only be understood by coupling aerodynamics with gyrodynamics. The narrative, supported by equations and graphs, explains how the shape and throw of a boomerang relates to its trajectory. The natural world presents still other examples, namely the samaras or seed-wings of many tree species, which autorotate during their descent, like a helicopter whose engine has failed. The flight performance of these spinning wings directly affects the dispersal and thus the evolutionary competitiveness of the trees concerned. Samara-type configurations are also considered for instrumentation and other payload dispersal applications. In short, the book discusses a range of familiar, connected, but largely undeveloped, topics in an accessible, but complete, manner.

Customer Reviews (2)

Spinning Flight - the fascination of things that spin in the air and in space
Spinning Flight is for the reader who is curious about spinning and flying things. Some may wonder why do skipping stones veer to the right, why does a Frisbee veer to the left at the end of its flight, why do golf balls have dimples, how does a boomerang work. Others may be interested in spin stabilization of bullets, bombs, rockets. Still others will be fascinated by the role of spin in spaceflight, the landing of probes on distant bodies or by what spin can tell about the formation and life story of asteroids and comets. Lorenz uses a minimum of vector mechanics and equations to explain these phenomena and provides many illustrations based on cleverly instrumented flight experiments. Next time you skip a stone, you will think of it as a rewarding experiment not just an idle pleasure.

Favorable Review
(I am the author - I think the book is not half bad -but let me quote from a recent
review of the book by H. K. Moffatt {whom I do not know} in Nature magazine (Vol.444,
14 Dec 2006 p.820):
'In his fascinatingbook Spinning Flight, Ralph Lorenz providesa rich feast of examples
of such spinning bodies, some occurring naturally, some contrivedfor pleasure or for a
practical purpose, someexotic..........Lorenz covers these phenomena and their various
manifestations with great skill and economy of exposition, whetting the appetite for the
more detailed treatments that he cites in an extensive list of references, many quite recent...
The book is well organized....there may be somethingfor every one within its attractively
designedcover ... Read more

Book Description
"Schoolyard rhymes are catchy and fun. They are easy to remember. In fact, they stick in the mind like bubble gum to a shoe." writes Judy Sierra in her introduction to this lively collection of traditional playground chants. Included are more than 50 verses ranging from the familiar jump rope rhyme about the mythical lady with the alligator purse to less familiar counting-out ones, from funny rhymes for ball-bouncing and hand-clapping games to "Liar, liar, pants on fire, nose as long as a telephone wire" and other choice insults of children. Melissa Sweet includes bright, colorful fabric swatches in her watercolor-and-pencil collages to perfectly capture the spirit of these funky, street-smart verses that children love to recite and chant. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good book
Nice book.Has lots of rhymes ... some I knew, some I didn't ... some had more lines than I remember...This book just has the words to the rhymes, so if you are looking for the rhythms or the hand clapping sequence (as I was) this isn't the book for you.

Back down memory lane!
What a wonderful blast from the page! I so enjoyed reacquainting myself with many of the childhood rhymes from my double dutching days. This will be a great gift for me to share with my nieces as they too will be introduced to such famous childhood rhymes. Even the illustrations made the rhymes stand out fully engaging one to try them out on the playground. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (5)

Illuminating Racial Bias
Though it starts a bit haltingly, "Skipping" eventually hits its stride and provides an illuminating look at the author biases behind the popular Left Behind series. Of particular interest are the noted passages both in-book (Left Behind main character Buck opinions that all Jewish people look alike) and out-book (La Haye gives an interesting interview in which he retreads the tired old line that Jewish people have intelligence but no physical strength) wherein people of color (Jews, Muslims, Native Americans, Asians, and the list goes on) are marginalized and stereotyped. If you are a fan of the Left Behind series, I highly recommend checking out this book to see La Haye's racist sub-text behind Jenkin's prose.

DECENT CONTENTS--AWFUL PACKAGING
The content of this book was interesting and well sourced if a little bit repetitive and heavy-handed. However, the printed text was riddled with numerous typos--sometimes as many as 2 or 3 per page! I can only assume that this is the fault of the publisher and not the author. Don't read this book if typos drive you crazy!

Author: 4 stars
Publisher: 1 star

Unlikely to convince "true believers," but impressive marshalling of facts
A very well researched--might even say exhaustively so--work about the incredibly popular Left Behind series. Standaert delivers an impressive analysis of the dispensationalist, fundamentalist mentality that pervades this book and so much of modern popular Christian culture. He does a great job of exposing many of the hidden assumptions of the series such as its pervasive violence, nihilism, intolerance and anti- mentality (anti-Catholic, anti-Semitic, anti"moderate Christian, etc.). Apologists who would argue that such devices are just literary license to tell a story should bear in mind that without the violence, bigotry and hatred espoused by LaHaye and Jenkins in the books, there would be no story to tell.

This book more properly deserves 3.5 stars, but I went with 4 since 3 would seem like damning with faint praise. There are a couple deficiences that when known make the book more readable. First, the organization tends to be a little slipshod. The chapters read more like a group of essays rather than a cohesive monograph; as a result it often seems like Standaert is trodding over the same ground from chapter to chapter. Second, due to this lack of organization his analyses a) often come across as personal attacks on LaHaye rather than objective conclusions, b) don't really speak to those who may have sympathies towards LaHaye et al's brand of Christianity, even fleetingly, but who need to be convinced more compellingly. Such people may be inclined to see Standaert as vindicating LaHaye's paranoia and misplaced literalism (some further explanation of the author's own spiritual inclinations may have helped delineate his points). Those who do not believe in this type of millennialism will find an impressive array of facts to respond to LaHaye's supporters.

Third, there are small typos and misspellings that may drive those so inclined to notice such things crazy--e.g. referring to German chancellor Helmut Kohl as "Kohn."

A scary but true story?
I guess I lead a pretty dull life.Is it really "true" that there are people out there who are wrapped up in a high steroid view of "myth as truth" and believe so many creative but absurd "conspiracy theories"?Standaert is a good story teller, but he needs a better editor.For those of us who naively go about our day and don't have a clue that it is all about to end, this certainly was a sort of eye opener.I'm glad I don't go to bed at night with this worldview.

The Rise of a violent "Christian" media empire
In this crucial expose of the violence of LaHaye's imperial theology, Standaert reveals how the "Left Behind" series serves US hegemony, including its bloody aggression in Iraq.Not only are people in other lands demonized, but domestic enemies of right-wing fanaticism are caricatured as well.LaHaye's antichrist character, Nicolae Carpathia, takes on virtually every liberal stereotype and becomes a figurehead for all that is evil according to LaHaye (and talk show hosts like Dennis Prager).Anybody outside of the club of war-mongering religious insiders are targeted for elimination.It's interesting how Standaert points out how this process dehumanizes both the non-believers and believers.

To make matters worse, this fall LaHaye will release "Left Behind: Eternal Forces," a hyper-violent, graphically advanced video game, similar to "Grand Theft Auto."Instead of bashing prostitutes' heads and blowing away cops, you kill assorted 'evildoers.'Standaert points out in an article entitled "Grand Theft Armageddon" that this is the latest (and most violent) in a series of video games to advance LaHaye's apocalyptic narrative, reach out to people who haven't been exposed to the book, and raise funds for LaHaye's political activism (he boasts of spending half of his earnings on his political agenda).Incidentally, LaHaye is the co-founder of the "Moral Majority."

In addition to Standaert's book, Chip Berlet has important books and a website that reveal this ominous growth of an ugly dominator world view. ... Read more

Product Description
3 cassettes that play for 4.5 Hrs ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Florida Bar Journal, published by Florida Bar on October 1, 2002. The length of the article is 3659 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Fiduciary allocations of the generation-skipping transfer tax exemption.
Author: Robert S. Williams
Publication: Florida Bar Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 1, 2002
Publisher: Florida Bar
Volume: 76Issue: 9Page: 59(4)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from The Tax Adviser, published by American Institute of CPA's on December 1, 2005. The length of the article is 4360 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: New regs. on elections for indirect skips: final regulations on indirect skip transfer elections give taxpayers many generation-skipping transfer tax planning options. This article explains the election rules and available planning opportunities under the new regulations.
Author: Justin P. Ransome
Publication: The Tax Adviser (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 1, 2005
Publisher: American Institute of CPA's
Volume: 36Issue: 12Page: 738(6)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is a journal article from Psychology of Sport & Exercise, published by Elsevier in 2006. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
Objective: The open feedback system used in aesthetic sports functions such that after judges have rated a performance they are informed of the scores given by the other judges before rating the next performance. This experiment was designed to determine whether such open feedback results in conformity among panels of judges in rope skipping. Method: Twenty-seven certified difficulty judges were randomly divided into panels of maximum five judges. These panels had to rate the same 30 videotaped individual performances: 15 in Phase 1 and 15 in Phase 2. Design: Two independent variables were orthogonally manipulated: feedback (or none) during Phase 1 and feedback (or none) during Phase 2. Results: Feedback increased score-conformity within a panel of judges in Phase 1. In contrast with previous research in synchronized swimming, this conformity did not last when feedback opportunities were removed in Phase 2. Conclusion: The conformity observed in the present study seems to be caused by normative influences rather than by informational influences. ... Read more