Editor's note: Howard Mittelmark is the co-author of "Read This Next: 500 of the Best Books You'll Ever Read", just published by HarperCollins.(CNN) -- After all the celebrating, overeating and overdrinking with friends and family, sitting down quietly with a good book could be just the thing you need.Sure, you could turn to the old holiday standbys, but if you want to think outside the Christmas box, here are 10 great nontraditional books for holiday-themed reading:F. Scott Fitzgerald spent his last years in Hollywood, working on an unfinished final novel and screenplays that didn't go anywhere. His "Pat Hobby Stories," wry and winning tales of a washed-up screenwriter who just never learns, suggest he never stopped learning or lost his sense of humor. The first, "Pat Hobby's Christmas Wish," has him attempting to blackmail a producer into a promotion on the day before Christmas. [Read the full article]

At some point in my youth, someone told me that the Great Wall of China was the only structure built by humans that is visible from outer space. I don't remember who told me, but it was someone I trusted, as I committed the fact to memory. Chances are this person thought it was true and wanted to share the knowledge.Many years later I learned that this bit of trivia is false. I was initially disappointed that something that sounded so cool wasn't true. I then wondered how many people I had innocently lied to over the years.Evidently, workplace advice is not that different. Plenty of the wisdom passed on from one worker to another isn't necessarily true. The advice givers are surely trying to help out the newcomers, but sometimes they only perpetuate myths that don't help anyone.To debunk the myths and highlight the facts, we went to Dr. Dawn Chandler, a life coach and professor at Cal Poly's Ofalea College of Business. [Read the full article]

Susannah says she can tell how a date will go within the first three seconds. Turns out, she's only about four seconds faster than average at sizing up a potential mate.Linda Blair, clinical psychologist and author of "Straight Talking", says: "'It takes only seven seconds for us to judge another person when we first meet them," explaining that this subconscious behavior goes back to our "primitive roots when we couldn't afford to make wrong decisions."Judi James, author of "The Body Language Bible", agrees, and explains: "We're looking primarily to see if we should feel threatened, but we also make several assumptions about attraction and personality. ... [Read the full article]

As some people struggle through painful or stressful family reunions during the holidays, many seniors may be enjoying their relationships.Sisters Liz Clift Ramirez, 65, and Vicki Clift, 62, have learned a thing or two that has let them enjoy each other more.Liz says they often fought while growing up in Memphis, Tennessee, but are close now during their "golden years," and she attributes some of this to the power of forgiveness."I think it is easier for older people to forgive because you've realized that life doesn't go on forever," she said. "Life is too short to cut yourself off because of bitterness or pride."This forgiving attitude is what helps make, in part, the golden years so golden, according to research from Purdue University, and it may explain why older adults report better marriages, more supportive friendships and less conflict with their children and siblings than younger people.Katherine Piderman, Ph.D. [Read the full article]