Customer Reviews

The History of the Snowman

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Your holiday gift-giving plans are right now going to be saved by a single person! The perfect gift has finally arrived in the form of a new book,"The History of the Snowman." Bob Eckstein's wonderfully infectious look at our collective fascination with this universal symbol of wintertime fun is both anthropological and socially curious. This charming history book is an instant classic and a one of a kind nice-touch addition to the traditional holiday bookshelf. There's plenty here for everyone, but add a handful of great cartoons and over 200 illustrations to the mix and it's guaranteed to cure any symptoms of the winter blues you can think of.We owe the author a huge amount of happy thanks for bringing to our all too serious world something as light, as delicious and as inviting as this meal for the mind. Pass it around.Everyone will want a taste. D.Price

Bob Eckstein's "History of the Snowman" arrives in time for the start of Winter, but don't hesitate to send a copy to your friends sweltering in the Southern Hemisphere. So if you ever wanted to see 19th Century advertisements of drunken snowmen chasing kids, or postcards of children abusing snowmen, this book is for you! You'll also learn about snowmen in Colonial America, Renaissance Belgium, and The Franco-Prussian War. Yes, there's real scholarship going on here, but you'll always return to Chapter Five - The Dean Martin Years: Drunken Debauchery and Other Misgivings.

Did you know that since snowflakes are 20% water snowmen are 80% air?
I'm a snowman expert. I've read "The History of the Snowman"
and I did it laughing all the way.

Bob Eckstein is a natural humorist with a warm, engaging voice.
In this charming, unexpected book he strikes the right balance
between history and humor.

This is one of those can't-go-wrong Christmas gift gems,
a hoot for most of the folks on your list.

I came across this book by accident - and sure am glad for accidents! This extremely well done book is one of the most fascinating I've seen for years. I immediately went out and got two more copies as gifts.

If you enjoy reading a funny book chock full of anecdotes, peppered with facts and history, then this book is for you. Eckstein has definitely done his homework on this one! In this book, you will explore the many realms of one of the most popular icons of this country if not the world. For me it was the kind of book that you could pick up anywhere, and at anytime. It is always good for a quick chuckle and an interesting factoid.

My sisters are great readers, so the natural Christmas gifts for them are books. I am never certain how they will react to the choices I make for them. However, there are a couple of indicators (after the fact). If they pass the book along to friends, it was OK. If they pass it along to their children, it was pretty good. If they ask for it back from their children, it was really good.

In the case of the History of the Snowman, they even wanted the snowman bookmark back with the book. This was probably the most well recieved book I ever got them. When you consider that they each read between 60 and 100 books a year (mostly novels), this book is a pretty good bet.

Lots of research went into this book. Just dip in anywhere and find really cool, unknown facts about the snowman. The author also gathered oodles of images that have appeared on so many items--clothing, ads, magazine covers. This universal icon shows up in every culture. In 1599 a sea captain made a map as he explored the edges of the world--and drew snowmen on those edges. The book is entertaining and enlightening, definitely a keeper.

I bought this book as a Christmas present for my daughter. However, once I received it, I found it was a great read and really enjoyed it.

Love this book - lots of usless info about one of my favorite subjects - just a cute book. Written well, lots of research on such a mundane subject. You can tell this man enjoyed his time spent on gathering this material.

Filled with tons of fascinating information, great pictures and told in humorous, intelligent manner - this was a pleasure to read. Perfect for Winter!