DianeC, I don't find it surprising that people don't buy the exact same items as gifts that people would have bought for themselves. What I found strange though is that Waldfogel's book doesn't really address what I thought would have been obvious responses. Take an example, gift giving has existed in all societies over time because it provides information on people. It provides information on how well others know you. It provides information that others care about you and they demonstrate that by getting you gifts that they think you will like. If they guess correctly, that tells the person getting the gift that you have cared enough about them to find out what they really like. Giving people money as Waldfogel suggests wouldn't provide this benefit at all. Let me ask you another question. Why do parents give gifts? Do they give them to give the child exactly what the child wants? Probably not. They give the child what the parent thinks that the child should have. Does that represent a social loss? It does not seem so. Personally, what irks me is that this book is so intellectually thin. Besides disagreeing with the moral here, don't you also find the logic pretty silly? Thanks for your time.