PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The holiday season is upon us and finding the perfect gift could be a bit of a challenge. But Philadelphia native Diane Serbin Hopkins hopes to help out with a book about how to make your favorite people feel special and surprised with a thoughtful gift.
In “The Gifted Gift Giver,” Hopkins, a certified “experience economy” expert, takes a look at the cultural and psychological sides of gift-giving and how to become a better gift giver.
The book contains a quiz, with questions including:
🎁 Are you resourceful?
🎁 Do you kind of shop all year long so you can find opportunities and save them for when it's time to give the gift?
🎁 Are you observant about the person you are going to give the gift to, so you can do a better job in pleasing them?
🎁 Are you willing to be somewhat generous within your budget?
🎁 Are you willing to be creative, not only with the gift but with how you present the gift, and try to be thoughtful and personalize it whenever possible?
“Yes” or “No” answers determine if you are a low-scoring "Gifting Greenhorn," an "Amateur Well Wisher," a "Heartfelt Enthusiast" or a high-scoring "Wholehearted Taker of Care."
What about gag gifts? Hopkins says they’re a slippery slope. They work best when you have a high degree of familiarity with someone and when you're confident in making them laugh and not offending or hurting them.
She says gift giving is done all year long, and she recommends everyone give a wish list to loved ones to give them a helping hand — including the cool things they love and their favorite food and snacks.