Festivus: The Holiday for the Rest of Us [Paperback]

Allen Salkin (Author), Jerry Stiller (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 10, 2008

A brand-new and revised edition of the hilarious guide to the national anti-holiday made famous by Seinfeld, complete with never-before-seen material, photos, and illustrations on how to prepare and enjoy your very own Festivus.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"(Festivus is) hilariously captured in this new book, just in time for Festivus season." -- Star Magazine

"(Salkin) chronicles Festivus's absurdity and purity...the funniest thing about this book is that everything in it is true." -- --January Magazine

"A top holiday hit." -- New York Post

"Examines the history and appeal of the anti-holiday...inspired." -- --The Standard

"Festivus is cheap, funny, and irreverent." -- Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Just what the holiday season ordered." -- --The Journal News

"Stuff stockings with this one before you partake in the airing of grievances and/or feats of strength." -- The Stamford Advocate

"The essential Festivus book." -- --The Times of London

"The perfect stocking stuffer... Salkin finds people who take the holiday to new heights." -- Tampa Tribune

"This hilarious book about the fictional holiday is nondenominational... unless you consider 'Seinfeld' your religion." -- Cargo --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Allen Salkin's writing has appeared everywhere from the New York Times to Yoga Journal, and his article "Fooey to the World," which was the basis for this book, was one of the most-read articles of the year. He lives in New York City and teaches Journalism and Writing at NYU.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (October 10, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446540668
• ISBN-13: 978-0446540667
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.4 x 7.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #697,913 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I've done a lot of different jobs and been a lot of places. You can decide if that's good or bad or both or neither. I have cast industrial films in Hong Kong, wholesaled rubber duckies in Las Vegas, picked oranges in Crete, peddled oil paintings door-to-door in Western Australia, and penned stories on subjects ranging from the last waterbed salesman in the San Francisco Bay Area to corruption in the Brooklyn Courts for The New York Times, Details, Heeb, Cargo, Yoga Journal, The Village Voice and other venues. I've also taught Journalism at NYU and MediaBistro.com.

I should also say that I like whirlpool bathtubs a great deal. I do not require a super-large one that fits in a corner. A large, but regular bath-shaped tub is fine. I strongly prefer bathing to showering. It is a daily luxury available to the non-rich only recently in historical time.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good book for the rest of us..., October 25, 2005

By 

Marshall Poe - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Festivus: The Holiday for the Rest of Us (Paperback)

I have in my paws a brand new copy of Festivus. It is very, very funny. I especially like the fact that the tone is wry (the author knows a bit too much about Festivus, and he knows he knows too much). The editorial comments--particularly under the picture of the poor cat with the lion cut--are very welcome indeed. Lord knows why people celebrate Festivus, but this book shows that they really do. Read all about it. Also, the book would make a good gift for people you like but doen't want to spend much on. Obviously, Seinfeld fans will eat it up.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything you want to know about the holiday for the restivus, October 24, 2005

By 

Catherine D. Slane "casscass" (NY,NY) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Festivus: The Holiday for the Rest of Us (Paperback)

Festivus isn't just a holiday book, it is a cult classic. Forget about buying holly and a wreath this year, just get this book and your whole idea about the holidays will transform into something hilarious. Seriously, this book will make you cry with laughter and could end all of your "holiday blues".

26 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Festivus Yes! Bagels No!, November 1, 2005

By 

Douglas B. Rubin (Princeton, NJ United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Festivus: The Holiday for the Rest of Us (Paperback)

As anyone who has seen the Seinfield episode entitled, "The Strike," knows, Festivus is, was and will always be a holiday invented by George's father as a reaction against the commercialization of Christmas. For me and thousands (probably not tens of thousands), it has struck a chord and every December 23rd, we make sure the aluminum pole is up while we list our grievances and test our strength.

Allen Salkin has done a fantastic job of combining the lore and myth of Festivus with the truth and background of this mysterious, now-not-so-fictional holiday. (It turns out that some the co-creators of that particular Seinfeld episode had some family history around this important addition to the Winter Solstice calendar!)

As Festivus gains in popularity and contributions to the Human Fund overflow, I predict that this book will be a key addition to the religious doctrine of this solemn holiday.

Final disclosure/correction -- While I have some grievances, I never told anyone that I wanted my wife to get rid of her stuffed Tigers!