Tell Us About A Great Holiday Gift And You Might Just Get It
Tell us about something that would make a great gift, and in exchange you get a chance of winning it or any of the other gifts people suggest.
That’s right, it’s time for the Daily Nous Holiday Gift Guide Giveaway.
Yes, I could give you a bunch of gift suggestions. I’ve done it before, and may do it again. But I am just one person. “A person with a keen eye, refined taste, and good judgment,” you might interject, especially if you’ve had a lot of eggnog. “Be that as it may,” I might respond, since that is a fun thing to say, “I can’t be the only only one.”
The fact of the matter is that I don’t know all the facts about what matters to all of you, and so anything I suggest is going to appeal to only some. The suggestions each of you make will also only appeal to some. But the sum of all those somes may really be something—that is, something of interest and use to people as they go about purchasing gifts this holiday season.
So I’m asking you to share one great gift idea (that costs no more than $100).
Post your answer in the comments (just one suggestion per person). If you do, you’ll be entered into a drawing, the prize of which is your choice of any one of the suggested gifts, either your own or someone else’s. If you win, I’ll email you to let you know; you’ll have a day or two to tell me which gift you’d like, and then I’ll have it sent to you.
See the rules below for details.
Your suggestion should include at least the name of the gift. Feel free to add a description of it and a link to it. (It needn’t be philosophy-related, though it of course could be.)
Anyone associated with academic philosophy anywhere in the world, as faculty (of any type), researchers (including independent scholars), students (graduate or undergraduate), and staff (of departments, journals, publishers, organizations), may enter. Share the post widely—the more the merrier.
Note: the drawing will only take place if there are at least 100 different eligible gifts suggested. If 200 or more different eligible gifts are suggested, there will be two winners drawn.
The deadline for suggestions is Friday, December 5th at 11:59pm, or (unlikely as it is) the point at which 1000 eligible gift suggestions have been submitted, whichever is sooner. The drawing, during which the winner (or winners) will be selected at random will take place the following week. It will be recorded, and the recording will be posted here at Daily Nous.
I hope the result is a useful list of good gift suggestions, as well as a little extra fun and excitement for you this holiday season. Now let’s hear some good gift ideas, philosofriends!
A scene from the gift-guide-giveaway winner drawing a couple of years ago.
• One suggestion per person.
• Each suggested gift should cost no more than $100.
• Gift cards, gift certificates, money, etc. are not eligible suggestions.
The rest of the rules are here.
[Note regarding email addresses: If you regularly use your official email address with a pseudonym when commenting here, in order to avoid inadvertently revealing your identity while suggesting a gift on this post, add a “.DN” to the end of your email address. For example, if your name is Joe Smith and your email address is [email protected], but you regularly comment as “PuzzleDude” here, enter your name as “Joe Smith” or “Joe” and your email as “[email protected]”.]
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Comments sometimes get sent to a moderation queue and so may take a little while to appear. Please be patient.
UPDATE: Some of the gifts suggested so far:
Given the extensive summer discussion on DN of better coffee in the office, the TIMEMORE Chestnut C2S hand grinder seems appropriate. Many (but of course not all) sources suggest this is the best ≤$100 manual grinder going! An added bonus of being a gift that those around the recipient can get enjoyment from, too, both by having a go with it and by drinking the resulting brews.
[JW: here is a link to it (it’s an affiliate link)]
I love my AeroPress. I think this travel AeroPress would be good for use in the office:
https://www.amazon.com/AeroPress-Go-Plus-Portable-Camping/dp/B0D369CGVQ
Pretty, unreasonably fancy chocolate to salve the pain of grading
https://www.danielcorpuz.com/product/fil-am-bonbon-box/28?cp=true&sa=true&sbp=false&q=false
A mechanical keyboard, as we type a lot, and some mechanical keyboards feel satisfying. (I like the loud clicky ones typically called “blue switches.”)
I see a lot of folks suggesting coffee making implements but how about some fancy coffee to put in them? I got a few bags of different things from this place the last time I was visiting my mom and it’s the best coffee I’ve ever had. Picking this one out since it’s their best reviewed but everything I’ve tried has been great.
https://www.redroostercoffee.com/products/ethiopia-mehbuba-guji-uraga-washed
A pair of scissors nice enough to be a good gift
https://craighill.co/products/chroma-scissors
The Exacompta Refillable Desk Note Pad.
https://classicofficeproducts.com/planners-notebooks/exacompta-faf-desk-pads/exacompta-faf-desk-pad-12123.html
Good size note pad. Refillable, stays put on your desk, and the metal holder doubles as a ‘clipboard’ so you can travel with it and have a hard surface for writing. V. satisfying sound/feeling when you rip a page out.
If I may be so bold, this collection of philosophical science fiction stories I just brought out may be a nice Christmas gift for a philosopher- or for a smart teenager you’d like to introduce to philosophy.
silk pillowcases (and, if you’re rich, sheets). especially for allergy sufferers, the curly or fine-haired, but no one will not thank you (unless they already have an endless supply or have very strange preferences). you can get two for under $100 here: https://www.quince.com/home/silk-pillowcase?color=champagne&tracker=collection_page__%2Fhome%2Fsheets-and-pillowcases__subcollections-Pillowcases__All%20Products__2
I wholly retract this suggestion after reading about silkworlms!
correction: some vegans may not thank you (idk, I guess silk isn’t vegan!)
A decent quality microphone can make a huge difference for video conferencing. The Audio Technica AT2020 seems very well reviewed for this price range.
This reminds me that someone I dated tried to be supportive after realizing I had no use or place for flowers by sending me Loebs. One at a time but regularly. I never got the sense he was choosing them carefully. But they were very cute and fun to get and are still great to have to this day.
21 dollars each, until the 31st, using the sale code HOL25 (shipping gets added of course). You can sort through by publication date to get a newer translation. https://www.hup.harvard.edu/series/loeb-classical-library?sort=date&format=hardcover
I love my Dohm Classic white noise machine. It’s an old-school mechanical noise maker with a small fan inside it and two separate collars you can twist to alter the tone. I use it for sleeping, for masking household noises while I’m working, for making it harder for others to overhear private conversations, etc. If you find the classic design off-putting — function > form — the company now making the Dohm has introduced a somewhat more modern version.
There’s a cool Etsy shop that makes wooden layered topographic maps for just shy of $100! (I keep this one bookmarked for my guy friends whose homes could use a wall hanging or two…) https://www.etsy.com/listing/1456404887/wood-topographic-map-3d
A book of poetry by either Mary Oliver or Charles Wright. They both remind us the world is larger than a syllogism and smaller than your house when you have to clean it.
I’d bet that R.F. Kuang’s Katabasis would be a welcome gift for any philosopher. The fictional discipline of “analytic magick”, which takes center stage in the story, bears some fairly obvious resemblance to our own beloved profession. Wittgenstein and Derrida receive oblique mentions, and G.E. Moore makes a brief but risible appearance. Above all else, though, anyone acquainted with the quote-unquote “hellish” rigors of life in academia will find plenty of deliciously close-to-home material in this book. An emphatic recommendation, from me!
This was going to be my gift recommendation as well – glad to see other folks here enjoyed it!
A pair of loop earplugs for working in cafes, on airplanes, etc. (I’m wearing mine right now!): https://www.loopearplugs.com/products/quiet
And if you want to be fancy, another pair designed specifically for sleep, for conference travel: https://www.loopearplugs.com/products/dream
could you say what you like about these compared to other ear plugs? thanks!
I’ve only tried ones made out of foam before, of the kind you can get in a drugstore. These are much easier to get in place, feel less awkward, and are more effective in blocking/dimming sound. And they’re reusable—had mine for about a year.
thanks!
Continuing the coffee trend, if Aeropress is not good enough for you (though it is quite good!), and you prefer real espresso on the go, there is the Wacaco minipresso (I used to own the older version but unfortunately broke down…).
Sorry, the one I had (and the one I would recommend) was the nanopresso (i don’t know anything about the minipresso, but it might be just as good)
A lumbar support pillow for sitting through talks, she says showing her age!
https://cascadedesigns.com/en-ca/products/lumbar-pillow
Samantha
It looks like the pillow is being used on the ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria, B.C.
Hopefully there is more than one of them, so this shouldn’t be a big deal.
The LAMY 2000 Ballpoint Pen!
https://www.lamy.com/en-us/p/lamy-2000-ballpoint-pen/50726722961742
A box of nice Hagoromo chalk would be nice: https://hagoromo.shop/products/hagoromo-fulltouch-chalk-white-72-pcs
Something not outrageously expensive, but maybe still to expensive to treat yourself to it.
Can confirm–this chalk is the real deal, folks. Using it is a deeply pleasurable experience. Just make sure your institution actually still has some chalkboards around and hasn’t replaced them all with whiteboards, or replaced you with a chatbot.
a nice bag is a nice gift (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CSDW374X)
I like the idea of gifts that ask us to forget about philosophy for a while and try a different kind of creativity.
A teeny travel watercolour kit
https://tobioskits.com/products/tobios2?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22980781578&gbraid=0AAAABAjsE7-yE5f41P8mZBJJPMr0Zycue&gclid=CjwKCAiA55rJBhByEiwAFkY1QLbOl0Q53ct1565B1pn_BjGB6VbFsl_EqWt_BTsWiP0UAoQhE1usehoCrHcQAvD_BwE
Or a cloisonné kit
https://www.cloisonnekit.com/products/koi-among-blooming-flowers-cloisonne-painting-art-kits?spm=..index.featured_collection_2.8&variant=e2e8faea-4195-461d-bb09-db57cd1c670c
A custom book embosser is a nice way to keep track of your library – especially if you’re in the habit of constantly lending out your books.
Lots of options on Etsy for around $30-40. Here’s one: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1038451270/from-the-library-of-embosser-life-tree
This is fantastic—a gift I never would have thought of but would be delighted to receive.
Well, I personally really like to give gifts—including material gifts—but I also dislike contributing to the dominant materials economy and its attendant environmental injustices. So, I like to give gifts that I think challenge that in some way.
For a variety of reasons, this often means books or upcycled (or otherwise artivist) art. I also appreciate Fiona Woollard’s encouragement of engaging our bodies, minds, and hearts different than is typically done in philosophy.
So, I’m gonna go with upcycled/artivist art like the following …
https://www.shoppalestine.org/products/jos-sances-childrens-art
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1729249257/hummingbird-wildflowers-wind-chime-made
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1458438893/recycled-jack-daniels-bottle-hummingbird
https://www.etsy.com/listing/4411169106/hand-painted-decoupage-upcycled-bottle
https://indigenousmarketplace.org/member-directory/
Someone else a few years ago here recommended a showerhead with a detachable handheld sprayer. It was one of those weirdly perfect recommendations: a life improvement device that is easy to overlook. Anyway, I bought one for someone that year and they love it. It is also especially useful for people with kids and pets to bathe. There are many options. Here is one similar to what I got. https://www.amazon.com/Delta-6-Setting-In2ition-Detachable-75655SN/dp/B0DT22PSDT/
A Corrupt the Youth sweatshirt makes for a great gift this time of year, and proceeds benefit our outreach program!
I was recently at the MoMA Design store in NYC, and picked up this astronaut figurine that projects nebula and stars: https://store.moma.org/en-ca/products/astronaut-galaxy-light-projector. Omigosh, it is even better than I thought it would be! It’s particularly useful for experiencing Kantian awe when contemplating the moral law within has gotten old. And the astronaut is pretty cute.
(Note: I originally planned to give it to a small child, but
no way I’m giving this away to any kidI think it might be a bit risky for very small children — they might burn their little retinas out!)I’d love to recieve a couple pairs of Darn Tough hiking socks. I’ve owned one pair for years. They are a treat to wear. At over $20 a pair, they are too much of a splurge to buy for myself though.
I like the tea towels from the Radical Tea Towel company, especially the Literary Cats one: https://www.radicalteatowel.com/tea-towels/literary-cats-tea-towel
If you know someone who likes to cook, a gift of heirloom beans from Rancho Gordo is a great option! I’m a member of their quarterly bean club (which, rather absurdly, has a massive, multi-year waitlist). It’s an especially good gift for vegetarians or vegans, but omnivores will like exploring bean cooking, too. I eat tons of beans and generally cook them from dry, since the flavor and texture really is better when done that way. Rancho Gordo beans are something special!
There are lots of giftable boxes at different price points. This gift box has four bags of beans, a tote bag, and a cookbook that looks awesome!
https://www.ranchogordo.com/products/deluxe-gift-box-1
Pretty much anything from Art of Play. They have very cool books, playing cards, games, and more: Here is what looks like a fun little puzzle. https://www.artofplay.com/products/mini-brass-monkey?
High‑Quality Notebook + Fountainpen Iove to jot down arguments, marginalia, and reflections. A durable, leather‑bound notebook (such as a Moleskine or Leuchtturm1917) with an elegant fountain pen (e.g., Pilot Metropolitan or Lamy Safari). It encourages the habit of writing “by hand,” which I find conducive to deep thinking and aa great pleasure.
Great idea. When writing with fountain pens, I find Leuchtturm 1917 preferable since Moleskine paper is not well suited for fountain pen ink (lots of bleed through).
On the coffee theme, I really like this coffee scoop with a really long handle; that way I don’t have to touch the coffee in the bag. I guess it’s no longer available here, but there are many types of things like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HN5TAEQ
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003EVHV6S/?tag=thewire06-20&linkCode=xm2&ascsubtag=F0401HZTGPSQK0N48C1YAC18G303H&th=1 a notebook with a fountain pen,
A game for philosophers of ornithology: Wingspan
https://stonemaiergames.com/games/wingspan/
An unreasonably priced but chicly scented candle from DS & Durga is a cute gift for anyone. I think vinyls are great, too: You can gift the recipient the music they like and/or share the music you like with them. (Plus, if they don’t have a vinyl player, the vinyl’s jacket still makes for nice background decor!)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BBGSYZPV/ref=sspa_dk_offsite_search_5185?aaxitk=9f9f9ca7e06e5ee73c6cac80f47d9e5f&tag=2025221-i2zrw9n4nm-20&th=1&psc=1
A heated vest so one can walk and think without one’s thoughts being “everything is pain”
Stephen Barker’s new monograph, The Metaphysically Dynamic Universe, e-book version. It would be very useful for the last chapter of my dissertation and further investigations and both my institution and its neighbor ones do not have it in their libraries.
https://www.routledge.com/The-Metaphysically-Dynamic-Universe-How-Motion-is-the-Essence-of-Time-and-Physical-Reality/Barker/p/book/9781041020349
I did not think they were still improving on this technology in this day and age but I received this axe as a gift last year and it chops remarkably well. Perfect if you have a wood-burning fireplace or a fire pit, an upcoming apocalypse, or if you want to give a Kantian a hard time.
(No, I’m not eligible for the drawing, but I thought I’d throw in an idea now and then.)
A dual sided magnetic (magsafe) phone stand with a tripod mount screw hole. Link here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F42LTD9N
Very useful as the dual sided magnet allows you to stick your phone to the fridge, to gym equipment, etc. The flexible phone stand allows you to use a mini-tripod for taking pictures, hands-free calls, etc. The additional tripod mount screw hole allows you to mount it to a camera tripod for more serious videoing/photography.
I advocate for this ten-pound wheel of Gouda.
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/scray-cheese-co-10-lb-wisconsin-gouda-cheese-wheel-in-red-wax/875RE10000.html
Two words: salt pig.
https://www.emilehenryusa.com/products/salt-pig?srsltid=AfmBOoqhF_6zVH2jqWgGu0BvALwHo660ad07f6zvAkqB7U2HVgEi7oig
A cute and interesting-looking puzzle https://pieceworkpuzzles.com/products/happy-camper
I think a high-quality fountain pen would be perfect.
It’s under $100, but it’s a beautifully thoughtful and classic gift for someone who spends their life writing and thinking. It elevates a daily chore into a pleasant ritual.
collapsible electric travel kettle! I no longer leave home without it. throw in a packet of fancy instant coffee (not an oxymoron, I promise) for the frequent traveler who can’t reach full consciousness on the strength of a hotel-room keurig alone.
A relief from doom thinking: the book “Not the End of the World” by Hannah Ritchie
How about a cheeky literary candle? I want this Melville-themed one, please. https://jdandkateindustries.com/products/moby-dick
Book nook kit. It’s good for a calm, absorbing hobby, and nice for someone who’s really into their bookshelves. This one’s a bookstore with what appears to be The School of Athens hanging in the window. https://www.etsy.com/listing/1876893505/illuminated-owl-bookstore-miniature-kit?ls=s&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=bookstore+book+nook&ref=sr_gallery-1-3&organic_search_click=1&bes=1&sts=1&content_source=bd0d95ab-1f4c-4272-b8ad-7902bbaa0ef1%253ALT9d7d5c1bce09f8fea1bb65b7534107daae9d8706&logging_key=bd0d95ab-1f4c-4272-b8ad-7902bbaa0ef1%3ALT9d7d5c1bce09f8fea1bb65b7534107daae9d8706
My students and I have very much enjoyed this owl (of Minerva, presumably) post-it note dispenser: https://www.amazon.com/Post-Dispenser-Sticky-Pop-up-OWL-330-BK/dp/B0C9VYV8KV/?th=1
A Fifine microphone would really help to record online classes!
A pair of good noise cancelling headphones. I use Sony WH-CH720N Headphones and they’re quite good.