Santa Claus, Last of the Wild Men?

Looking for something holiday-ish but out of the ordinary to read in the next few weeks? See if you can find:

Santa Claus, last of the wild men : the origins and evolution of Saint Nicholas, spanning 50,000 years / Phyllis Siefker. (Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1997).

It is an interesting look at the origins and development of the guy who now wears a red suit and hangs out in shopping malls. Like many of our modern magical creatures, he used to be a whole lot scarier.