My present from my dad this year was a beat up old book about Jon Wooden. I have never expressed any interest in Jon Wooden, I am not even a basketball fan. The book literally has food stains all over it and sticky grimy stuff on the cover.
Each other member of my family received a $25 gift card. I got garbage. I don’t really care if I got no gift at all, but wtf does this gift MEAN? I don’t think he’s mad at me? Maybe losing grip on reality a bit…
Make sure you leaf through it. He may have hidden a map of the family treasure chest.
Seriously though, ask him the meaning of such a nice, personal gift.
He might think the book will be an inspiration for you. My dad gave me a Biggles book once and was really excited to see my reaction to the story. Let’s just say we had very different tastes.
The book is beat up and well read, which suggests that he’s read it over and over again. It’s something that he values, something that means a lot to him, and he would like to share it with you. In his mind it’s worth a lot more than $25.
I’d take it that way, anyhow. It’s the thought that counts.
But ask him, speak to him about it. Read the first chapter, even if you’re not interested in it, and discuss it with him. If he doesn’t get it that you may not share his interests, let him down lightly. And, who knows, maybe there’s something worth reading in it, after all.
Which reminds me. Is it a rare book? A first edition, perhaps?
I collect rare books. Pretty much all of my collection are first editions. Some are a little beat-up and well-read, but they are still firsts, and worth much more than their cover price, and subsequent editions. In some cases, many times more. Could this be a rare book in some way?
I gave my teenage son the Wooden “Observations…” book a couple years ago, hoping it would spur him into reading a book and take a break from his video game. I told him he could read a few pages at a time, and did not even have to read it in order. Didn’t work. This year his coach gave him the same book. I suspect he will probably read it now.
aceplace57 is right. The books offer insight and advice for people, and perhaps your dad found this information valuable to him, and wanted you to have it as well. Of course, it would have been good for him to tell you this.
You all seem to be assuming my dad put thought and care into this gift. I assure you he did not. He realized on the way out the door that he didn’t get me a gift so he grabbed it off the shelf. The reason it’s dog-eared and covered in food stains and stickiness is because that’s how EVERYTHING in my dads house is. It’s the grossest thing I’ve ever seen and I intend to never enter it again.
If it’s meant as an example of a book that inspired him, I definitely should not read it. My dad has wasted his life and all of his money chasing after every get-rich-quick scheme under the sun.