Christmas Gift Ideas
by Thomas E. Woods, Jr.
by Thomas E. Woods, Jr.
Gift cards
make adequate gifts when you just can’t think of what to get someone.
But most of us feel defeated when we’re forced to resort to the
gift card. We reproach ourselves with the thought that if only we’d
been more creative we’d have been able to get something a bit more
personal – which would be, well, just about anything.
The short list
of gift possibilities I offer here contains items general enough
to appeal to entire categories of recipient, from businessmen, entrepreneurs
and economists to scientists, comic lovers, Catholics, and movie
buffs – and, indeed, to the general reader and viewer.
 They
Made America, by Harold Evans. An attractive, oversized
book, They Made America tells the often gripping stories
of some of America’s great innovators and entrepreneurs. Note the
provocative title: this isn’t the old morality play you got in school
about the proletariat building America. As this book shows, all
the brawn in the world cannot substitute for the scientific discoveries
and entrepreneurial genius that multiply labor’s raw potential scores
of times over and direct it to useful, productive ends. Read the
late Jude Wanniski’s review here.
 Economics
for Real People, by Gene Callahan. In spite of its many
endorsements by important economists, Economics for Real People
remains, in my opinion, one of the most underrated books of the
past five years. Curious about Austrian economics, or anxious to
introduce it to a skeptical friend who can’t understand why you
find the "dismal science" so compelling? Gene Callahan
has written a one-volume introduction to the subject that is at
once thorough and absolutely delightful to read. The writing seems
so effortless that you hardly pause to consider how difficult Callahan’s
task was.
The good news
is that if you read this book you’ll understand how the world works
better than just about anyone you know. The bad news is that you’ll
spend the rest of your life in agony at being surrounded by a seemingly
endless parade of fallacies and stupidities that someone who took
the time to read this book could refute in ten seconds.
 No
Excuses, by Kyle Maynard. Want a story of old-fashioned
grit and determination? Kyle Maynard is a congenital amputee who
was born with his arms ending at his elbows and his legs at his
knees. He went on to become an award-winning wrestler – after losing
his first 35 matches in a row.
Lots of athletes
are devoted readers, but if you have one who isn’t, this is the
book for him. Needless to say, it’s also an inspirational read for
just about anyone.
 How
Capitalism Saved America, by Thomas J. DiLorenzo. Winner
of the Smith Prize of the Society for the Development of Austrian
Economics, How Capitalism Saved America: The Untold History of
Our Country, from the Pilgrims to the Present hardly requires
elaboration beyond its title. Perfect for the students on your list,
as well as for the businessman who could stand to be reminded, contrary
to what he hears every day, that he is not, in fact, the scourge
of civilization.
 The
Complete Calvin and Hobbes. In case you haven’t heard,
the entire print run of Calvin and Hobbes (which was always one
of my favorites) is now available in a giant and handsome three-volume
set. Retailing at $150, this would probably have to be a gift either
to or from someone close to you. Amazon sells it at a substantial
discount ($105).
The
Politically Incorrect Guide to Science, by Tom Bethell.
Tom Bethell, author of The Noblest Triumph: Property and Prosperity
Through the Ages, has produced the third installment in the
Politically Incorrect Guide series. An enjoyable and fascinating
read, Bethell’s book is a much more serious piece of work than its
playful title might lead you to believe.
 In
addition to puncturing countless myths, The Politically Incorrect
Guide to Science devotes much attention to the corrupting role
that government funding has had on science. One example among many,
says Bethell, is cancer research. The U.S. government officially
declared war on cancer in 1971 and, in classic Soviet fashion, announced
that the war was to be won by 1976. Yet for all our vaunted progress,
cancer mortality rates have not improved; even correcting for the
aging of the American population, the percentage of Americans dying
from cancer is the same as it was in 1970 – and in 1950. (What victories
we’ve had are largely attributable to early detection and treatment.)
Bethell makes a compelling case that the reason for our lack of
progress against cancer, far from a problem of insufficient government
funding, is more likely the product of government funding itself.
You’ll never look at government/science pork the same again.
Get a free
chapter of Bethell’s book here.
I plan to buy multiple copies of this one to give as gifts.
 I’m
recommending two books for Catholics in particular. The first is
Michael P. Foley’s Why
Do Catholics Eat Fish on Fridays? The Catholic Origin to Just About
Everything. The book’s title is misleading; this is
not a book about why Catholics observe this or that practice. It
is, rather, a very enjoyable and often surprising overview of a
great many aspects of life – including music and theater, sports
and games, dining and etiquette, insect and animal names, and countless
others – that are inspired by Catholicism. A perfect gift for the
devout and the lukewarm alike, and another book I’ll be buying in
modest bulk this Christmas.
The second
is Rabbi David G. Dalin’s book The
Myth of Hitler’s Pope: How Pope Pius XII Rescued Jews from the Nazis.
Rabbi Dalin has written an inspiring and courageous defense of the
wartime pontiff. See my review here.
 The
Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis. Yes, everyone in
the world will be giving these books this Christmas, but so what?
Who says the masses are always wrong? I loved these books. Let this
be the year that you introduce them to the younger people on your
list.
The
Wizard of Oz. This 3-DVD set would make a great gift
for just about anyone. It’s so filled with extra features that you
just have to click on the link and see for yourself.
 Alfred
Hitchcock Presents, Season One. This classic program’s
first season is now available in an attractive and inexpensive DVD
edition. It’s less than half the price of the boxed sets of each
of the Twilight Zone seasons (though, naturally, I couldn’t resist
picking those up anyway) and it will bring your recipient at least
as much enjoyment.
Warner
Classics Mega Collection. Feeling especially generous,
and know a serious movie buff? Then the Warner Classics Mega Collection
is sure to please – a couple hundred classic movies, now on DVD.
And the best part? You can get it at Amazon for a mere $1,449.98!
All right,
so that one’s a little pricey. But I hope the rest of these suggestions
will prove helpful for givers and receivers alike.
  November
29, 2005
Professor
Thomas E. Woods, Jr. [send
him mail] holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Harvard
and his Ph.D. from Columbia. He
is senior fellow in American history at the Ludwig
von Mises Institute. His
books include How
the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization (get a free chapter
here), The
Church and the Market: A Catholic Defense of the Free Economy,
and the New York Times (and LRC) bestseller The
Politically Incorrect Guide to American History. Visit his
Website.
Thomas
Woods Archives
Copyright
© 2005 LewRockwell.com
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