The Complete National Geographic

This is unreservedly my pick for the best holiday gift this year. For a mere 70 bucks, or some $42 at Costco or Amazon, you and yours can have every single issue of National Geographic going all the way back to 1888 on CD-Rom. That’s got to be one of the bargains of the century. The digital transfer of these magazine issues is simply gorgeous, with none of the flaws that plagued the New Yorker set a few years back. The search engine is also a thing of wonder, allowing you to search both broad and narrow topics and effectively find relevant articles and photos from across those many years in mere minutes. This collection is an essential addition to the home of every single person with a curious spirit and every parent owes it to their children to have this set on hand for them as they move through their education. I also highly recommend a yearly subscription to National Geographic for both yourself and gift recipients, as you can snag a one-year subscription online for only $15 at shopng.com.