Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Holiday Shopping Guide: Recession Edition

With more government bailouts, more people losing their jobs and homes and more panic spreading across the nation, it's pretty hard to think about the approaching holidays. Most years, we'd be gearing up for the after-Thanksgiving sales, strategizing how to hit as many stores as possible for the early bird deals. Now, people are scaling back, not buying the extravagant gifts they did last year.

But there is one thoughtful gift that won't break the bank: a book. Giving books this holiday doesn't only support authors, the publishing houses and your local booksellers. A book is the perfect way to show people you put thought into their present and reading is the perfect activity for holiday traveling or being holed up on snowy winter days. And so I offer my recommendations for every person on your holiday shopping list:

Gift For: Your father who doesn't read anything except the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and the occasional presidential biography.

Gift For: Your mother who always reads the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize winners and who has never missed an Oprah Pick:

Gift For: Your school age sister, niece or cousin who's going through a goth phase:

Gift For: Your high school brother, nephew, or cousin who thinks reading is stupid:

Gift For: Your Grandpa who loves watching Law and Order and CSI:

Gift For: Your uncle who does a lot of business traveling and enjoys "quick reads":

Gift For: Your friend from Art School who's into "weird shit":

Note: Because a lot of these books aren't my personal preference, many of them I haven't read. The books marked with a ** are those that I have read and can truly recommend. The others are just suggestions based on the opinions of others.

1 comment:

Quinn said...

I've got a suggestion for anyone you know who enjoys a little post-apocalyptic speculation: The World Without Us by Alan Weisman. It's a really fascinating look at what the world would come to be if human beings disappeared, and a surprisingly hopeful one at points.