Careful what you wish for: Books

It's often difficult to match the right book to the right person. Just because you loved All the Pretty Horses or Who Moved My Cheese? doesn't mean your loved ones will. Enter the Keep It Simple Series (KISS). They're like the Dummies/Idiots books--except these aren't condescending and they have stunning color photographs instead of black-and-white stick figures. They're available on many of the pleasures in life: golf, wine, gardening, sex.

A particularly interesting choice is the guide to yoga. The information ranges from the simple poses of Hatha yoga, the form most often practiced in the United States to introductions to more complex yoga styles like Kundalini and Ashtanga. And the information is versatile enough to be a great gift for Dad, who can't touch his knees or for Aunt Viola, who spends more time upside down than right side up. The book includes sections on meditation, on eating for good health and on how to incorporate yoga into busy lives. And like any good guide, the KISS series has a sense of humor--a cartoon creation resembling Arthur shows up on many pages to alert the reader to "complete no-nos" and "inside scoops." Beginner's guides can be a perennial gift choice: After your mom gets into Iyengar yoga, next year you can buy her the KISS Guide to Feng Shui.