People suffer during the holidays for all sorts of reasons. Renae Baker learned, first hand, how painful it can be to struggle to find joy during the holiday season. But as the founder and director of a company of Broadway holiday carolers and someone who treasures her Christmas spirit, she found it unacceptable to go through another December with no warmth of the season bringing her joy.

In Defeating Scrooge, Baker describes, with humor and pathos, the path which led her to her life's work in caroling, her crisis of spirit and how she set about reviving it. In her journey back to joy, she immerses herself more deeply into the carols and discovers poignant life stories of the lyricists and composers, the countries in which they were written, what was going on in those countries at the time and the catalysts which brought these carols to life. She also discovers fascinating histories about how the carols have affected people in profound ways long after they were written.

One of the truly original aspects about this book, aside from the fact that Baker is uniquely qualified to write it, is that she reflects on how we might apply the wisdom gleaned from the carols' histories to our world and lives today. Baker shares her "Spirit Saver" process with us and explains how it works to reset and revive damaged "spirit triggers." In addition to leading carols, Baker is also a sought-after acting coach in New York City. A scientific method she employs to guide her acting clients into roles in Broadway, film and television productions turns out to be the secret sauce in her process, and she employs it now to guide us to a joyful and triumphant holiday season. A perfect holiday gift!