Unplug the Christmas Machine: A Complete Guide to Putting Love and Joy Back into the Season 
asked by dataworld on November 11, 2006 9:53 PM
Now in its 13th printing, Unplug the Christmas Machine remains one of the most comprehensive guides to managing Christmas stress and combating commercialism. Jo Robinson and Jean Coppock Staeheli give readers solid advice on how to make their celebrations more spiritual and less materialistic. Practical discussions, such as shopping lists, holiday recipes, and family activities, meld with deeper issues, such as how to teach children that Christmas is more than a present or how to find meaning in the holiday when you're not especially religious. Robinson and Staeheli even delve into the mixed blessings of Christmas homecomings to help readers pass the true holiday stress test.
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At Christmas time, the busy wife, mother and career woman kicks into overdrive. She feels the need to maintain her usual roles while bringing the magic of a perfect Christmas to her family, work place, and church.
If your Christmas cards routinely include an apology for being late and half of your holiday decorations are still in the attic, you are not alone. Let's admit it, the perfect holiday season should include a week off from work in early December.
This book can be a life saver, as it helps you focus on what parts of the holiday season are really important to you. I find the layout of the book easy to use and the structure it provides is priceless.
If your Christmas cards routinely include an apology for being late and half of your holiday decorations are still in the attic, you are not alone. Let's admit it, the perfect holiday season should include a week off from work in early December.
This book can be a life saver, as it helps you focus on what parts of the holiday season are really important to you. I find the layout of the book easy to use and the structure it provides is priceless.
reviewed by runabout on November 17, 2006 10:00 PM
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I thought this book was a little too cliche, because it tends to go with the stereotypes of women and men's traditional roles and attitudes towards Christmas. Also most of the ideas are rather obvious and don't promote any significant change.
I would suggest checking out the site www.buynothingchristmas.org.
I would suggest checking out the site www.buynothingchristmas.org.
reviewed by casurf on November 19, 2006 5:26 PM
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I am delighted to see that Robinson and Staeheli have updated their material in this new edition . . . I've been using this book as an inspiration for workshops and talks since it first came out in the early 1990's. Consistently, people are empowered to claim their OWN approach to the Holidays after working through the concepts.
The eye-opening exercises are easily completed by an individual -- and there are many hints and pieces of advice for people wanting to involve their families in simplifying their holidays. Whether you come at this period from a religious or a secular perspective, this book can strengthen your resolve to make your holidays heart-felt rather than $-based.
Highly recommended.
reviewed by speed5599 on November 28, 2006 10:54 PM