Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has written best-selling books on politics, controversies and the fate of the Republican party.

Now, with Christmas fast approaching, he's tackling his most important topic yet: a true Christmas spirit.

After a grueling run for the Republican nomination for president in 2008, Huckabee is busier than ever. From winning the Value Voters straw poll for 2012, to a No. 1 weekend cable talk show and daily radio commentary, the former governor knows a thing or two about the rat race.

In his new book, Simple Christmas: Twelve Stories that Celebrate the True Holiday Spirit, Huckabee writes about what truly matters most this holiday season.

The book includes 12 intimate stories about the man before he became a house-hold name - funny tales of impatience at Christmas to tales of trial and sacrifice.

For instance, growing up, Huckabee tells a story of how he and his sister would sneak open their gifts before Christmas, play with them, then rewrap them so their parents wouldn't notice. The plan worked great for several years until one Christmas morning, young Mike unwrapped a brand-new football...covered in mud. That led to a powerful lesson about patience.

In 1966, like millions of preteens, Huckabee was obsessed with the Beatles. He dug in his heels, telling his parents that if they wouldn't buy him a guitar for Christmas, he didn't want anything at all. He admits he was selfish, stubborn, and obnoxious, with no idea what it would take for working-class parents to find an extra $99. It took many years for him to understand the sacrifice they made for that life-changing gift -- or how it connected to the Christ's own sacrifice.

In 1975, only a year after Huckabee and his wife Janet were married, she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. She was only 20 years old. That Christmas was the most terrifying and upsetting they would ever know, as they wondered if they would ever get to share another one. In retrospect, Huckabee says it was a Christmas they will treasure forever.

Huckabee uses his candid stories to remind us all to slow down and enjoy what's truly important this season: family, faith, love and hope.