Also, because of my love of lists and trivia I have collected lots of books on those topics – many of which have ended up as inspiration for lists here.

This Christmas I recommend either giving someone a book – or buying one or two for yourself – especially if you haven’t read a good book in ages.

This list only contains books I have on my own bookcase, that I would not hesitate in recommending to Listversers.

This is a fun little book filled with the worst things in the world – such as dangerous people or places, disgusting or hideous creatures, and more. In thoroughly researched, scathingly funny essays, author Mark Frauenfelder avoids the obvious and digs deep to tell the fascinating tales of the worst people, places and things on Earth for the reader’s amusement and edification. Half of the entries are also mischievously illustrated by the author. This is a perfect book for bedtime reading.

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In The Disappearing Spoon, Sam Kean goes through the periodic table of elements and tells a story or anecdote about it. The book presents a parade of entertaining anecdotes about scientists (mad and otherwise) while covering such topics as thallium (Tl, 81) poisoning, the invention of the silicon (Si, 14) transistor, and how the ruthenium (Ru, 44) fountain pen point made millions for the Parker company. With a constant flow of fun facts bubbling to the surface, this is just the sort of book that will be loved by anyone who is a fan of trivia and snippets of information.

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This is a great book for anyone who wants to know the secrets behind things we aren’t meant to do – including how to make counterfeit money, how to break into a car, how to become a religious icon, and even contains a funny list of ten things you shouldn’t say to a cop – such as: “Well, when I reached down to pick up my bag of crack, my gun fell off my lap and got lodged between the brake pedal and the gas pedal, forcing me to speed out of control.” Humor (or lack thereof) aside, this really is a very interesting book that will appeal to most people.

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In this book, the author neatly dispatches many of the most treasured stories to be found in schoolbooks, and repeated elsewhere. He relates that Emperor Nero did not fiddle as Rome burned because the fiddle or violin wasn’t invented until the 16th century (you heard that here first!). His enemies are the source of that story and he had plenty of them. Paul Revere did his best to alert the extensive Colonial militia that the British were coming, but they got to him first, holding him for a while as the word was spread, by a variety of means. The Bastille was stormed because the crowd wanted to get at its store of gunpowder. Its political prisoners actually lived in comfortable quarters. All things considered, this book provides a very interesting new look at history.

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This is a very amusing little book compiled by doctors to answer all of those questions we all want to know the answer to but are either too embarrassed to ask or don’t know anyone that can give us the answer. Some of the questions asked are: “Why do men wake up in the morning with an erection?” and “why do you see stars when you are hit on the head?” The answers? You will have to buy the book!

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From primordial nothingness to this very moment, A Short History of Nearly Everything reports what happened and how humans figured it out. To accomplish this daunting literary task, Bill Bryson uses hundreds of sources, from popular science books to interviews with luminaries in various fields. His aim is to help people like him, who rejected stale school textbooks and dry explanations, to appreciate how we have used science to understand the smallest particles and the unimaginably vast expanses of space.

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You’ll find everything you forgot from school–as well as plenty you never even learned–in this all-purpose reference book, an instant classic when it first appeared in 1987. The updated version takes a whirlwind tour through 12 different disciplines, from American studies to philosophy to world history. Along the way, Judy Jones and William Wilson provide a plethora of useful information, from the plot of Othello to the difference between fission and fusion. This book has featured elsewhere on Listverse and it is so good it is even in our bookstore.

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Do you know how to make something that can tell whether the $20 bill in your wallet is a fake? Or how to generate battery power with simple household items? Or how to create your own home security system? Science-savvy author Cy Tymony does. And now you can learn how to create these things – and more than 40 other handy gadgets and gizmos – in Sneaky Uses For Everyday Things. More than a simple do-it-yourself guide, this quirky collection is a valuable resource for transforming ordinary objects into the extraordinary. The best thing about this book is that you don’t just get to read it – you get to put into practice the many suggestions found in it – a wonderful way to while away a wintery weekend.

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Armchair Reader: The Book of Myths & Misconceptions shines a bright new light on hundreds of “facts” that are widely (and incorrectly) accepted as truths. Give it a read and you will be able to impress, educate and discredit friends. This book will obviously appeal to those of you who are especially fond of our Fact & Fiction category. This is, for me at least, a must-have book for anyone that comes to Listverse.

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This is a book that will be especially loved by anyone who liked our list of places you can’t go. In this book, the doors of some of the world’s best-hidden places and most secretive organizations have been thrown wide open! Some of the names are familiar: Area 51, Yale’s Skull and Bones, Opus Dei, the Esalen Institute. Others are more obscure, hidden by fate or purposeful deception, such as the Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center, the super-secure facility where Vice President Dick Cheney was secreted after the 9/11 attacks, and Germany’s Wewelsburg Castle, which was intended to become the mythological centerpiece of the Nazi Regime. Readers can take an unprecedented look deep inside the off-the-map military installations and shadowy organizations that operate in the murkiest corners of our world. This is not a throwaway quick read – it is an intelligent and incredibly well researched book you are guaranteed to love.

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The Ultimate Book of Top 10 Lists is the first of what will eventually be a trilogy of books based on Listverse. It covers all of the categories on Listverse and presents the best lists from each in an easy to read and convenient form. Perfect for the coffee table or reading in bed.

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The unprecedented popularity of our first book resulted in the creation of the Ultimate Book of Bizarre Lists – focusing entirely on the various bizarre topics that appear on Listverse. For top 10 list aficionados this is a must-buy book that includes lists never seen on Listverse before.

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Do you still want more? Over the years we have amassed hundreds of lists containing brilliant books that we would recommend to anyone that loves Listverse. That equates to thousands of books – enough to keep you reading for the rest of your life!

• 1. The picture Kevin finds of Buzz’s girlfriend was actually a picture of a boy made up to look like a girl because the director thought it would be too cruel to make fun of a girl like that.
• 2. The role of Uncle Frank was written for Kelsey Grammer.



• 3. There is a legend that Elvis Presley (who died in 1977) made a cameo in the movie. Many of those who believe that Elvis is still alive maintain that, the heavily bearded man standing in the background of the scene where Mrs. MacCallister is shouting at the desk clerk (just before she meets John Candy) is Elvis.
• 4. The issue of Playboy that Kevin finds in Buzz’s room is from July 1989 with Erika Eleniak as Miss July.
• 5. The “evil furnace” in the basement was done by two guys with fishing line and flashlights.
• 6. Robert De Niro turned down the role of Harry.
• 7. Angels with Filthy Souls is a fictional gangster film and was made specifically for the film. There is also a sequel to the film, Angels with Even Filthier Souls, in the sequel.
• 8. The Talkboy was originally conceived as a non-working prop for Home Alone, used by Macaulay Culkin’s character. In 1993 it was made into a retail version, brought on by a massive letter-writing campaign by young fans of the film.

• 9. John Candy filmed his part in only 1 day, albeit an extremely long 23-hour day. The story about having once forgotten his son at a funeral home was entirely improvised. His part is obviously inspired by the character he played in Planes, Trains & Automobiles.

• 10. In the scene where Harry bites Kevin’s finger, Joe Pesci actually bit Macaulay Culkin, leaving a scar on his finger.

• 11. The concept for the movie originated during the filming of a scene in Uncle Buck when Macaulay Culkin interrogated a would-be-babysitter through a letterbox.

• 12. Daniel Stern agreed to have the tarantula put on his face for exactly one take. He had to mime screaming because the noise would have scared the spider, and the scream was dubbed in later.

The Christmas tree which has been decked out with $11m worth of gold and precious stones, in the lobby of the Emirates Palace hotel. Photograph: Hussein Malla/AP

An Abu Dhabi luxury hotel that boasted an $11m (£7m) Christmas tree decorated with gold and gems has admitted it may have taken the holiday spirit a bit too far.

A statement from the Emirates Palace hotel said it regretted “attempts to overload” the Christmas tree tradition by adorning it with premium bling including gold, rubies, diamonds and other precious stones from a hotel jeweller.

The tree was unveiled last week with full fanfare in a hotel that features its own gold bar vending machine and a one-week $1m package that includes private jet jaunts around the Middle East.

But the hotel management apparently had second thoughts after questions arose about whether the opulent tree was innocent good cheer or unfortunate bad taste.

The hotel regrets “attempts to overload the tradition followed by most hotels in the country with meanings and connotations that do not fall in line with the [hotel's] professional standards”, said a statement carried on the state-run news agency WAM.

The hotel tried to distance itself from the 43ft (13m) faux fir in one of its rotundas, saying a hotel-based jeweller was responsible for creating and decorating the tree. “The hotel is just a venue for exhibiting the tree,” the statement said.

The hotel also claimed the tree was not a stunt, but rather an effort to boost the holiday mood for its guests, based on the United Arab Emirates’ “values of openness and tolerance”.

Although officially Muslim, the UAE features many signs of Christmas for its huge foreign population. Lights, carollers and santas are fixtures in nearly every mall.

There are two types of people in the world: those that love Christmas commercials and those that don’t.

I’ve always been a sucker for all things Christmas, including ads, and I could watch them for hours. Actually, I just did! Here are eleven great Christmas spots.

There are several you may remember fondly, and one or two you might be seeing for the first time.

1. Folgers Coffee ad/Peter comes home. This is the ultimate holiday commercial, the one against which all others are judged.

This was filmed around 1986, and it is remembered and beloved by TV fans everywhere. It’s odd that Folgers doesn’t just keep running this ad every Christmas (it came back a few years ago but hasn’t aired since). Instead they have a really poor modern version of the ad, with a son coming home from Africa and practically flirting with his sister. Folgers, please bring back this vintage spot.

2. Staples and the gift-wrapped dog. This commercial ran several years ago, and for some bizarre reason no one has even uploaded it to the web yet. Come on, Internet! This is a truly funny ad that shows a new family dog all covered in wrapping paper and wagging his tail.

If anyone knows where we can see this, let us know in the comments.

3. McDonald’s Gift Certificates. I was 10 years old when this commercial came out (in 1975) and I remember it like it was yesterday. That’s Corey Feldman, long before, well, ‘The Two Coreys.’

4. Go Phone Commercial with Norm MacDonald. Christmas on TV is often marked by the appearance of stop-motion animation, and this great Go Phone ad captures that feeling perfectly, while at the same time adding a lot of humor. This must be a very frustrating world to live in, where giant hands can just rip the roof off your house.

5. Hershey’s Kisses. This is a very basic commercial, but that’s why it’s so effective. The various colors of the Hershey’s Kisses world play ‘We Wish You A Merry Christmas.’

6. Flintstones/Fruity Pebbles. What makes this commercial great is that you hardly ever see characters from a TV show doing separate commercials for a product. But since the actual product is related to ‘The Flintstones,’ you get to see Fred and Barney interact with cereal and Santa. Another classic spot they should bring back.

7. Campbell’s Soup. Not a Christmas commercial per se, more of a cold weather commercial, but it’s winter and ‘Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow’ is always associated with the holidays. This spot has a kid melted by the heat of some Campbell’s soup.

Of course, the same effect could be achieved by a hot cup of tea or another brand of soup, but still!

8. Schweppes Retro People. I had to include these spots because they’re so clever and, well, bizarre.

9. M&Ms and Santa. It doesn’t seem like it, but this ad is actually over 15 years old. The M&M guys catch Santa visiting the house and both are shocked when they see each other.

One thing I’ve never understood: why doesn’t Santa know that the M&M guys exist? Doesn’t he bring them presents? Shouldn’t Santa know everything?

10. Lucky Strike. This spot is from the ’50s, and since Don Draper came up with the “It’s Toasted” line (nudge nudge wink wink), Sterling Cooper must have had something to do with this commercial.

Do people give cartons of cigarettes as gifts anymore?

11. Norelco Santa. OK, by popular demand, here’s the Norelco spot. It really does bring back memories (there were actually a few versions of the ad – this is one of the ads from the ’70s).

photo credit: Jon Cornforth

Snow can change a landscape photo into a winter wonderland photo. The whiteness of the snow tends to add a nice contrast to the normal colors of a scene which makes for very effective photos.

Snow photos can also make for unique nature photos and can often sell for a higher price because they are so appealing. Unfortunately some snowy locations where the very rare animals live such as penguins and polar bears are very hard to reach and require a great deal of risk and effort.

Bright and white snow can be trickier to capture effectively then most photographers think. The light readers on cameras tend to see snow as very bright so it sets the exposure for the brightness of the snow leaving the background and other objects almost as dark as a silhouette.

Most experienced photographers overexpose the snow photos they take leaving the snow as bright as it is in real life and the rest of the frame well-exposed as it should be.

Snow can also disrupt the camera’s automatic white balance sensor so you should also make sure that you either adjust the white balance to suit the snow or switch the auto white balance mode to the snow white balance mode.

30 Photos

photo credit: thrumyeye

photo credit: Mikko Lagerstedt

photo credit: Mikko Lagerstedt

photo credit: Mikko Lagerstedt

photo credit: Jon Cornforth

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photo credit: Peter Bowers

photo credit: Mikko Lagerstedt

photo credit: thephotogrumbler

photo credit: Mikko Lagerstedt

photo credit: Peter Bowers

photo credit: Tailgun2009

photo credit: Mikko Lagerstedt

photo credit: Mikko Lagerstedt

photo credit: fluxxus1

photo credit: Peter Bowers

photo credit: Mikko Lagerstedt

photo credit: Puk3y101

photo credit: Iamidaho

photo credit: Randi Scott

photo credit: Peter Bowers

photo credit: Peter Bowers

photo credit: thrumyeye

photo credit: Richard Dumoulin

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photo credit: KEENPRESS Photography

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photo credit: DigitalDesigns

The most celebrated festival has knocked at the door. The air is full of joy and celebration. Children have decided their gifts to be asked from Santa Claus.

Therefore, I thought to do something unusual and unique with the celebration. Check out these weird yet funny Santa Claus images, which portray a different Santa. I am sure to hear your loud laughter while checking these images

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Santa Hijacked

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Christmas Carol

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Christmas Burglar

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Santa On Phone

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Santa Is Coming

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Santa Gang

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Messy Santa

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Drunken Santa

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Smacked Santa

By now you probably have your Christmas tree installed and decorated.

But if not, you might try something unusual. Take a look at these strange, unusual and funny Christmas trees.

Twenty-five years ago, Kris Marshall of Iowa draped a strand of Christmas lights across his pickup truck. Now, eight incarnations later, the Christmas Truck has 3,000lights. Matt Hardigree writes for Jalopnik:

It’s amazingly nontechnical, it’s literally just lights taped to a truck. According to Marshall “It’s not very scientific, it’s a hideous site in the daylight, there’s black tape and wires in the daytime.” But at night it’s amazing. Marshall has used eight trucks and added dozens of strand since, though it’s always a 2WD Chevy/GMC with a regular cab and eight-foot truck bed “the way a truck ought to look.”

By his own estimate there are 50-to-70 strings with a mixture of 50 and 100 lights each, making a conservative estimate of 3,000 lights. There are no LEDs, just the cheap $0.89 strings, though he’d like to add some to take pressure off the taxed generator.

Christmas isn’t just about cookies – it is also a great time of year to serve cake. Whether you are looking for an elegant cake design to serve at your holiday party, celebrating a Christmas birthday or planning a cake for a Christmas wedding, we have you covered with great pictures and design ideas.

- Two things upon this changing earth can neither change nor end; the splendor of Christ’s humble birth, the love of friend for friend. Merry Xmas!

- May all the sweet magic Of Christmas conspire to gladden your hearts and fill every desire!

- Can I have your picture, so Santa Claus knows exactly what to give me. Happy Christmas. Happy Xmas!

- If tonight, a big fat man jumps in at your window, grabs you and puts you in a sack don’t worry I told Santa I wanted you for CHRISTMAS.HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

- A blessed Christmas to you and your family and may the new year bring you happiness and prosperity! :D

- May joy, love and peace be with you and your loved ones this Christmas. have an amazing season!

- Wishing you the timeless treasures of Christmas.. The warmth of home, the love of family and the company of good friends. Have a blessed and meaningful Christmas!

- Happy Birthday Jesus!! Merry Christmas to you and your family my friend!