Dan's Papers - June 15, 2007 - Father's Day Gifts: From Him

Dads are difficult people to buy gifts for. Some confess to wanting nothing more than time with their children while others have BMW dreams. Regardless of who your father is or what he may or may not want for father's day, it's important to remember that no two dads are alike: whatever you buy for dad this father's day, make sure there is a reason that the gift is fitting. That is my only rule when it comes to gift giving. Generic gifts mean less than a well-written card so make sure your gift has some significance.

For many fathers, a book is the perfect gift. For a father who loves a good contemporary read, I recommend A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini's follow-up to New York Times best-seller The Kite Runner. With glowing reviews, this second Afghanistan-set page-turning powerhouse is sure to be popular this summer with well-read, relatively hip fathers. For the alternadad, infamously sardonic author Don DeLillo's Falling Man is ready at BookHampton, equipped with a storm of controversy and positive reviews.

For the political father, The Reagan Diaries is out now as well. But as you scan the bookstore, don't instantly dive for any of these presumably popular titles. Instead, think about your father and his particular interests and personality. Then think about your own interests - getting your father to know you better is a gift in itself. Try and find something that you can discuss with your father. Regardless of the differences between dads, a carefully chosen book is always a good option.

Many fathers like to think of themselves as athletic. For the father who is into exercise, a GPS wristwatch to track his workouts - calories, miles, heart rate, and even location - is a useful gift. Promise to run or work out with him and the gift is that much enhanced. The Garmin Forerunner 305 is this season's preferred but pricey GPS unit. Similarly, high quality headphones for running, or perhaps just hanging out, gives the gift of luxury and good-sounding music to a father who probably needs both. Go for the soundproof headphones if you haven't yet, it does make a difference. Along the same lines, the iHome portable iPod speakers are perfect for playing dad's favorite songs during a summer BBQ in the Hamptons. The Bose sound quality is superb. Get an iTunes gift certificate along with this gift so that your father can buy some new songs, and you are golden. Speaking of iPods, for Apple-tired fathers, the new Microsoft Zune is the iPod for Windows, and it's way cooler than your old iPod.

Then there are the gadget dads. Sometimes these guys are hard to buy gifts for because they're smart techies who read up on electronics. Plus, new good gadgets tend to run in the higher price ranges. I'm sure you hear this every year but, honestly, if your dad doesn't have a digital camera yet, it's time. Even if he doesn't think he will use it, he will. Those summer memories are priceless, so why not capture them on film. And, yes, digicams give you the luxury of deleting all the "oops, I blinked," photos before developing them. But the camcorder industry has been making great strides as well. A compact and easy to use video camera is the perfect gift for new dads who suddenly insist on tape-recording their child or grandchild's every move. All Canon cameras tend to be top-notch, and the new TX1 is this season's fan favorite. You won't regret this gift someday as you laugh at old home videos. For the film school drop out dad, Final Cut Express makes a wonderful hobby as a complex but manageable editing program for Macs, and the new everyone-must-own computer, the MacBook, comes equipped with its own simple editing software.

If your father is into golf and ties - go for those. However, I recommend you play a round with the guy and chat, or splurge a little on the tie. Conventional and impersonal gifts tend to be forgotten more easily. Whatever it is your dad is into, just spend a little time picking it out and try and find something that relates to your father specifically. After that, you've done your best, and wish the old man a great day.