GiftGuide
68 AMERICANWAY
DECEMBER 1 2008
Thrill Seeker
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This adrenaline junkie goes gaga
over adventure. Bungee jumping,
river rafting, skydiving— you
name it, the thrill seeker has tried
it and has at least one scar.
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Anthology:
Set theWorld
Afire
(Capitol/
EMI, $23)
Adventurous
types need a lit-
tlemusical amping upbefore they
attempt their next climb, leap, or
fall.With this 35-trackMegadeth
anthology, they’ll be good to go.
National
Geographic
Society
Exploration
Experience:
TheHeroic
Exploits of theWorld’sGreatest
Explorers
(National Geographic
Books, $50)
There’s serious inspiration inside
this book, which is packedwith
maps, photos, and aCD-ROM
detailingbig adventures, including
late explorer Sir Ernest Shackle-
ton’s trip toAntarctica.
NearDeath in the
Mountains: True
Stories of Disaster
andSurvival
(Vin-
tage, $15)
Mind you, it’s called
Near Death in theMountains
, not
Death in theMountains
, so you
won’t feel completely guiltywhen
you give it. Youmay think of the
collection as a cautionary tale, but
your gifteewill be too enthralled
in the story to notice.
Off-the-Beaten-Pather
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This traveler prefers atypical
locales, ones the travel agent
doesn’t even know about, and is
likely to start storieswith, “Once,
when Iwas in a remote forest in
Fiji …”
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TheEncyclope-
diaof Earth: A
CompleteVisual
Guide
(Univer-
sity of California
Press, $40)
Help your friend or loved one
uncover newdesirable destina-
tions for his next trip. This coffee-
table-worthy reference guide
covers everything from the history
of our planet to the creatures that
inhabit it.
Putumayo
WorldMusic
CDs
(Putu-
mayo, $15)
Putumayo’s
inspiring col-
lections ofmusic from across the
globe are the perfect traveling
companion for any jet-setter, no
matter the destination. Recent
releases include
AcousticArabia
,
CaféCubano
, and
Asian Lounge
.
DoctorWho: The
Complete Fourth
Series
(BBCVideo/
Warner Home
Video, $100)
Until travel by
spaceshipbecomesmore afford-
able for the commonman,
Doctor
Who
will have to do for out-of-
this-world adventures.
Foodie
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The cuisine-craving traveler pre-
fers to eat hisway around the
world and is likely to packTup-
perware in his suitcase for keeping
leftovers.
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The FrenchChef
withJuliaChild
(WGBHBostonVideo,
$40)
The original TV chef
is still the best. You
can relive the 1962 show that
started it all with this 18-episode
collector’sDVD.
AmericanCheeses:
TheBestRegional,
Artisan, andFarm-
houseCheeses,
WhoMakesThem,
andWhere toFind
Them
(Simon&Schuster, $25)
Now, finally, the cheese-obsessed
person in your lifewill have a
guide for future cheese-seeking
missions. It pairs perfectlywith
The EccoGuide to theBestWines
of Italy: TheUltimateResource
for Finding, Buying, Drinking, and
Enjoying Italy’sBestWines
(Ecco,
$14).
CookingMama
WorldKitchen
forNintendoWii
(MajescoEntertain-
ment, $50)
We knowplenty of
at-home cookswho have admit-
ted to stepping away from the
stove to play
CookingMama
on
their kids’Wii. Let your loved
ones cook aworld of virtual food
(while ordering take-out)with this
follow-up title.
TimeTraveler
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This personprefers historic desti-
nationswhere he canpeek into the
past andprobably has a lengthy
list prepared just in case there’s
a spontaneous game of “whom
would you invite todinner?”
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HistoryCivilWar:
SecretMissions
for Xbox 360 and
PlayStation3 (Ac-
tivision, $50)
If there are noCivil
War reenactments nearby for your
favorite history lover to partake in,
the video-game versionmight be
the perfect substitute. Bonus: No
itchy costumes required.
StatebyState: A
PanoramicPortrait
ofAmerica
(Ecco,
$30)
History looms large
in this riveting col-
lection of essays on each of the
50 states. And even if a specific
statewouldn’t normally fascinate,
thewriterwho took it on probably
will. This bookmight even inspire
a trip.
TheJohnnyCash
ChristmasSpe-
cials
1976–1979
(Shout! Factory,
$50)
These four DVDs
of JohnnyCash specials include
appearances byKris Kristofferson,
RitaCoolidge, andSteveMartin.
The collection is the best reason
— and the bestway— to revisit
the ’70s.
THEGIFTED
TRAVELER
