Leave it to Mark Hurst to not only write an extraordinary buyer’s guide, but also provide a comprehensive theoretical framework for doing so. Mark (founder of Good Experience) is a long-time advocate of the user experience, broadly defined. And lately he’s been troubled by twin themes: complexity and choice. Complexity in consumer products (It’s a phone … and camera … and garage-door-opener) has made many useful tools impossible to use. And the overwhelming choices (which camera? which computer? which salad dressing) leave us paralyzed and second-guessing ourselves.

Enter Uncle Mark’s Gift Guide & Almanac, a charming guide that answers questions like, “What digital camera should I buy?” with a single, definitive answer. No in-depth comparisons, no feature tables and price lists. Just a single recommendation. Thanks, Uncle Mark! Your free guide is a holiday gift in its own right.