Having trouble getting into the spirit of Christmas? We have the solution for you: Whitley Strieber’s wonderful little book Christmas Spirits. In his Journal, he writes: "When I wrote The Christmas Spirits, I was not really speculating, but rather trying to portray a level of being that I believe is entirely real, and to describe its interaction with us as I have lived it.read more

Does it sometimes seem like department stores go out of their way to make the shopping experience unpleasant, when you’d think, especially around Christmas, that they’d do just the opposite? There’s a reason for this: It turns out that the less comfortable you are during the seasonal shopping spree, the more money you’ll spend.
read more

When we buy someone a present, most of us try to get inside mind of the recipient, but thoughtful gifts–where you try to give someone what they want the most–are NOT the best bet. The giving of a thoughtful gift benefits the giver more than the person who receives it.

In the December 4th edition of the Wall Street Journal, Sumathi Reddy quotes behavioral scientist Nicholas Epley as saying, "It turns out it’s not the thought that counts, it’s the gift that counts."

So what DOES work best? Spending a lot of money isn’t important, thank goodness. It turns out that the gifts people like the most are things they have explicitly requested–so ask all your friends to MAKE A LIST! read more