A book is one of the easiest gifts to buy and also one of the hardest to choose. There are many thousands of books about Canada and by Canadians, so how do you select the right Canadian book as a gift? Before you buy, take time to consider how the book will be used, what the recipient's interests are, and which Canadian authors the user enjoys.

Decide How the Book Will be Used
The type of book you select should depend on how it will be used. For travelers who want to cherish memories, a coffee-table book may be the best choice. For school projects and occasional research, oversize volumes that stay in the bookcase are fine. For writers and teachers who regularly need quick information, reference books that can easily sit beside the computer are more appropriate.

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Know the User
Every bookstore, online and off, divides its stock into categories, such as biographies, family, fiction and science. Before you head to those categories though, think about the user's daily interests. If you're buying a gift for a senior for example, you're just as likely to find the perfect gift in the money, travel and hobbies categories as you are in the section on seniors.

Select by Issue
There are bound to be issues on the news or in the local community that stir your recipient's emotions. Think about conversation topics that get a strong response and then look for a book on that topic. If she's worried about elderly parents, a book on the Canadian health care system might be a good choice. If he's following the war on terrorism closely, a history book on past wars might suit.

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Choose a Familiar Author
If you know an author the reader has enjoyed in the past, look for more titles by the same person. You don't have to stick to the bestsellers list either. For example, there are dozens of Margaret Atwood books available, both fiction and non-fiction.

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