Holiday Lights!: Brilliant Displays to Inspire Your Christmas Celebration

All around America there are folks who put on such dazzling Christmas light displays that their houses are listed as attractions in their local newspapers. Such extravagant presentations--replete with lights flashing in time to holiday carols and rooftop nativity scenes--can draw thousands of visitors each year, and though they take an enormous amount of labor, Seidman's book aims to demonstrate how readers can do the same--or close to it--with minimal effort. With anecdotes and pictures, Seidman (All Gone: Things That Aren't There Anymore) shares examples of holiday light extravaganzas across the country, not only of houses, but also towns, zoos and other entities that get into the festive spirit. For example, there's Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, a neighborhood with trees covered in lights""with colored balls that hang like electric fruit"" and a""snowman holding a broom with fiber-optic bristles""; and the Denver Zoo, which lights up giant paw prints on its paths. In addition to detailed profiles, Seidman also gives general instructions on the basic steps toward starting such a hobby, and concludes with a listing of light tours and suppliers around the country. Photos.