Present Perfect: Unforgettable Gifts for Every Occasion Overview

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what's in it for me? (return to present perfect)

Present Perfect: Unforgettable Gifts for Every Occasion is written to you—as a giver—but it is primarily about recipients. The book is designed to help giver focus on the wants, interests, passions, and desires of recipients—with special care given to the relationship and other circumstances attending specific gift presentations. Givers have found the book to be highly informative, fun to read, fast and easy to use, and invaluable for all their gift-giving situations.

gift giving basics

Part One features everything you need to know about the basics of gift giving. Included are a definition of the "perfect present," an exercise for assessing your strengths and weaknesses as a giver, the seven characteristics common to the best gifts, suggestions for creating a personalized gift profile, and tips for creating and maintaining a gift closet.

thousands of great gift ideas

Part Two is filled with thousands of gift ideas, conveniently arranged alphabetically by interests, occasions, holidays, circumstances, and gift categories (i.e., Arts Lovers, Baby Shower Presents, Cooks, Father's Day Presents, Gardeners, Hospitalized or Ill Persons, Gifts of Money). Cross references tell you where to look for even more gift ideas.

gifts you should never give

For obvious reasons, there are some gifts that should never be given—a scale to the wife who no longer fits into her wedding dress, cheese to a person who lives in Wisconsin, a "little something" to your secretary from the lingerie catalog. On second thought, considering the number of such gifts that are received, maybe the reasons are not so obvious—so we've pointed out a few of them in "Present Danger!" sidebars.

tips for choosing perfect gifts

Zeroing in on the perfect gift requires sensitivity, thoughtfulness, and an understanding of the recipient's needs, interests, and wants. In conjunction with the Personalized Gift Profile form, "Consider This" sidebars throughout the book will help you make perfect gift choices for any recipient—for any occasion.

creative gift wrapping ideas

Special touches in wrapping and embellishing presents reflect the thought and care you put into your selections. Make your gift presentations more memorable by incorporating the easy, innovative, and just-plain-fun ideas listed in "It's a Wrap!" sidebars.

best and worst gifts

Everywhere we go, we ask people, "What is one of the best gifts you have every received?" and "What is one of the worst gifts you have every received?" The answers range from heartwarming to inspiring and from humorous to disastrous. In some cases, the names have been changed to protect the innocent (and the guilty).

spontaneous celebrations

"Celebrate!" sidebars feature obscure, whimsical, and under-celebrated occasions which make great excuses for gift giving (not that you need an excuse).

shopping tips

Mall marauders and couch potatoes alike will find no-nonsense tactics for beating the crowds, the frenzy, and the frustration of tracking down the perfect gift in "Shopping Tips" sidebars.

toll-free numbers and web address for vendors

Toll-free numbers and web site addresses are listed for many of the vendors mentioned in the book to make shopping for the perfect gift as easy as possible.

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