Great Christmas Gifts for Geeky Dads

Are you having trouble choosing the perfect gift for your geeky father? Does he already have the latest gadgets, and all of the Star Trek merchandise his garage can hold?

Geeks can be hard to shop for. Dads are especially difficult because many never seem to want anything in particular, or have already accumulated most of the things they need or want.

Here are a few gift ideas that will put a smile on dad's face.

Pick out some hefty books. Search particularly for large volumes that are encyclopedic in nature, and are related to your father's geeky interests. If your father likes computers, for example, pick out a volume on system architecture, computer repair, or the latest programming language. If he is a history buff, a guide to the Roman Empire or the Civil War is likely to make him jump for joy. And if you can't nail down a specific interest you can always purchase an encyclopedia of general science.

In addition to books, magazines make wonderful gifts for geeks. Dad will surely enjoy a subscription to Popular Mechanics, Wired, PC World, National Geographic, or one of the many science fiction magazines that can be found at your local book shop.

Everyone likes movies. Geeks tend to enjoy speculative stories, which is why so many of them are Star Trek fans. Such stories combine the "what if" factor with science, resulting in great movies that geeky dads can't resist. Look for titles like "Solaris", "Event Horizon", "The Last Mimzy", and "The Chronicles of Riddick."