A Book Makes the Best Gift
A hot day on the beach. A rainy day on the couch. A short train ride to work. A long flight across the ocean. When all you want is a little entertainment. When all you need are concrete answers.
What do these situations have in common?
They’re best paired with a good book.
A book can speak to you in just the right way at just the right time. This quality is lacking in most other tangible things.
This ability is also what makes a book a perfect gift.
No gift makes me happier than a book – especially if it has a message written in the cover. If someone took the time to buy you a book AND write a message inside, they took the time to know you and your situation.
They thought about where you are in life and what you might need to hear right now. They remembered a book that helped them when they were in your spot, and they took the time to pass it on.
At my high school graduation in 2010, my Aunt Carol and Uncle Jim gave me a copy of John Wooden’s book, Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court. Inside the front cover, Uncle Jim wrote:
“Lots of life, growth, problems, choices ahead. This book represents the life philosophy of one of my heroes – John Wooden. There is much food for thought in this book – and it comes in snacks. I hope you keep it with you wherever you go, pick it up often, open to a page and think about what he has to say…and think about your Uncle Jim and Aunt Carol, who care much about what you do with your unlimited life potential!”
This book hit me at exactly the right time, and my uncle captured the reason why in his thoughtful inscription. The book contains timeless wisdom, and I’ve revisited it, as he suggested, over and over again.
It’s one of my most treasured books, and it will sit proudly on my shelf for many years to come.
A book with a handwritten note shows that the giver cared about you enough to know your passions and interests, a level of caring that’s not as common anymore.
When you can send a text, you don’t need to send a letter. But the problem with a text is it doesn’t require as much thought. The connection isn’t as deep. The sentiment isn’t as personal.
This past Christmas, my girlfriend’s parents gave me the book North by Scott Jurek. I was training for a half ironman, and the book is about a man who set the speed record on the Appalachian Trail – it was a perfect fit.
My girlfriend’s mom wrote me a short note on the title page. It read, “May you run, hike, and explore for many years to come.”
I flew through the book, as you often do when you find a story that speaks perfectly to your interests and hobbies. It was a wonderfully thoughtful gift, one I will cherish for many years whenever I see it on my shelf.
Knowing why somebody thought of you, told in their own handwriting, inside something you can hold in your hand, is the ultimate keepsake. It’s a permanent and personal reminder of why you were important to that person.
My grandmother passed away late last year. Throughout my childhood and into my young adult years, she bought me many books. Inside the best ones, she would write me a short note.
Inside The Richest Man in Babylon, she wrote, “You’re very good with money, hope you like this anyway.”
Little did she know, years later I would use the book as a financial blueprint for my life. I even wrote an article about it!
She also wrote a heartfelt message inside The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. I was devastated when my parents dog pulled the book off the shelf and chewed it to shreds.
Being the sweetheart she was, my grandma replaced the tattered book with her copy. Inside it she wrote, “I do believe Mr. Pausch would have been your friend!”
Wishful thinking from a lovely lady.
These books sit a little higher on my shelves, out of the reach of little asshole dogs – and someday little asshole kids.
I don’t lend them out, as I do my other books. They’re too special to me.
You can always buy another book. You can’t replace a handwritten note from a special person who’s no longer around.
Because these books mean so much to me, I try to share the same feeling with other people. I give away a lot of books now.
The books I gift to friends or relatives are usually handpicked specifically for that person. I almost always write a note inside. It’s usually just a quick explanation of why I picked the book and why I think the person will like it. Sometimes I add what the book meant to me.
If they actually read the book or the note, who knows, but I like to think they do. I like to think it means as much to them as it does to me.
So next time you need a gift, pick up a book. Think of the person you’re gifting it to – where they are and where they’re going. Match that feeling with the right book, and jot a quick note inside.
Your thoughtfulness will be appreciated – and remembered every time the person sees the book on the shelf.
Have you ever received a book with a note inside? What did it say? How did it make you feel?
