This being "Black Friday", book shopping may be on your mind. Here is a copy of what I wrote for the December issue of Pleasant Hill Community Focus. (by the way, feel free to click on the amazon.com links on the sides and bottom of the page) (was that too shameless?) (maybe I should make a poll about that) (anyway, enjoy the article)
Every year it seems more and more publications are releasing their top 10 book gifts to help people pick out a book for a family member, friend, co-worker, etc. The truth of the matter is that picking out a book for someone is incredibly simple to do. Just pick one of these three options.
Option One:
If you know this person (their interests, their hobbies, their sense of humor) you don’t need any advice. Just go to the book store, browse for about 30 minutes, and you will find a book that they will like.
Just two quick catches to this however. Do not buy them a book related to their job. As a teacher, I hate getting books about teaching. I’m sure ‘Waiting for Superman’ is going to make a wonderful book one day, but please don’t buy it for me. The last thing I want to do after a full day of work is to come home and read about what I just spent the last 10 hours doing.
Next, if you are buying a book for someone who shops at Barnes & Noble or Borders a lot you may want to avoid the clearance shelf. It kind of de-values that great book on ancient Egypt or collection of Poe short stories a bit if they go to the book store a week later and see that you spent $1.99 on it. Not everyone will care, but some will.
Option Two:
If you do not know the person who you are getting a gift for very well you have two ways you can go. The first thing you can try is to see if they have an amazon.com wish list. You can then either get them a book from this list or something very similar to an item on this list.
If they do not have an amazon.com wish list or you cannot find it because they have too common a name (i.e. John Smith, etc.), or you have no idea what amazon.com is then you have one final recourse. Buy them a gift card. Trust me, its the best thing for everyone. A card of $15-$20 dollars will buy them any paperback they could want and you avoid the embarrassment of showing the person how little you know about them.
Option Three:
This is the best option. Get them a book you love. Write them a personal note on the inside explaining why you loved this book and why you think they will too.
Hopefully these tips help you. Happy holidays!
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