"Boyett's witty, weird, and sometimes even wise Pocket Guides are proof that the best things do come in small packages." —Daniel Radosh, author, Rapture Ready!

We name our cities, hospitals, and churches after them. We flock to shrines bearing their remains. We ask for their help when we lose our keys. Who are these saints, what made them so holy, and what in the world are those birds doing on St. Francis's shoulder?

Jason Boyett's Pocket Guide to Sainthood takes an intriguing and unflinching look at the fascinating—and fascinatingly weird—lives of the saints. Whether you are a Catholic desperately needing a patron, or a Protestant trying to identify your cabbie's bobblehead, this may be as close as you ever come to true holiness. Make the most of it by learning

• How St. Denis delivered his best sermon while holding his own decapitated head

• Why both hair shirts and nakedness are mainstays of saintly fashion

• Which saints are the patrons of bowel disorders, serial killers, and other useful categories

• What is involved in the canonization process, should you get so lucky?or martyred

With Pocket Guide to Sainthood, virtue just got a whole lot more entertaining.