The Language of Gifts: The Essential Guide to Meaningful Gift Giving [Paperback]

Deanna Washington (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2000

Plenty of books on the market list gift ideas - golf clubs for Dad, a watch for graduation - but until now, no book has ever revealed the symbolic significance behind the gift you choose, making your gift more meaningful by guiding you toward just the right gift to convey your feelings. Every object, with its unique mix of material, shape, and color, has a special message, and Deanna Washington has decoded them all in her one-of-a-kind reference for finding the perfect gift for every occasion. The Language of Gifts shows you the meaning behind every step of the gift-giving process from shopping and selecting to wrapping the package and writing the gift card. This wonderful gift-giving companion will bring new joy to both giving and receiving presents.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

An unusual and fabulously useful guide to getting the appropriate present for any occasion. By providing the symbology of gifts from cultures and religions around the world, a person can find the right gift to convey exactly the message the giver wishes to send. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Conari Pr (January 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573241903
• ISBN-13: 978-1573241908
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 7.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #903,746 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gift is Worth a Thousand Words, Make It Say Something, December 13, 2000

By 

Sally Harvey (Bloomington, Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Language of Gifts: The Essential Guide to Meaningful Gift Giving (Paperback)

If you're stuck for a gift on a limited budget (or a generous budget) and you want to give a thoughtful gift that will be remembered long after the wrapping paper has been thrown away, check out Deanna Washington's "The Language of Gifts." Washington has written a resource guide cross-culturally researched and filled with meaning that pulls at your heartstrings, not at your purse. In the eight months since I purchased the book I've bought gifts for birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, baby showers, weddings and now Christmas. None cost more than 10 dollars. And because I knew the "meaning" of the objects I chose, I could briefly explain the symbolism in the context of my relationship and my wishes for the recipient. Because of this book my motto now is, "a gift is worth a thousand words, make it say something." Anyone can give a gift that grabs the heart by using this book. It will help you express the deeper meaning and the emotions behind your gift, which helps create the richest bond of all, the bond of memories and emotions.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars okay for starters, December 2, 2000

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Language of Gifts: The Essential Guide to Meaningful Gift Giving (Paperback)

The author did her homework pretty well as far as finding out the traditional meanings of hundreds of different colors, numbers, animals, etc. -- details that can make your gifts more personal and thus more significant, but too often she doesn't tell us WHICH culture, for instance, believes amber is an antidote to impotence, so we have the meanings but not the sources, which makes this data just a bit untrustworthy. If you're really interested in the topic, you'd be best off using this book merely as a big set of clues, then doing more research on your own.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Giving My Simple Gifts Extra Meaning, December 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Language of Gifts: The Essential Guide to Meaningful Gift Giving (Paperback)

I love to give little gifts to people. This book answers my desire to add particular meaning to what I give. Even a small trinket becomes important when it carries my special intent in the form of story or tradition. I recently gave a small carved elephant to my husband in gratitude for his patience during a family crisis. He was touched by the specific message included in my choice of the elephant for him. Whenever he looks at the elephant I believe he becomes more patient all over again. I keep this book close at hand, leafing through it for ideas when I've someone I want to gift. Then my card can include the reasons I chose this gift for them. This is a lovely resource.