At one point, my father was stationed in Turkey and, for Christmas that year, he sent me a) a puzzle ring he had bought at the market; b) a pair of harem pants and a head scarf; and c) a copy of this book.

The book is written by an earlier member of the Air Force, also stationed in Turkey, about his time there. Reading this book made me want to go to Turkey. My father told me that he couldn’t bring me to Turkey, because it was too dangerous. Then he invited my youngest sister to go instead. To this day, we are still debating whether that meant he loved her more (because she got to go to Turkey) or loved me more (because he left me safely in New York, ah, New York in the ’80s, so much safer than Turkey).

I doubt you’ll find a copy of this book around any more but if you can score a copy, it’s worth reading. The tone is a little dated, along the lines of “I don’t understand this other culture so I’ll portray it humorously, they’re so cute” but the author is self-aware enough to make fun of himself as well. But the guy’s a great storyteller and the anecdotes are fun to read. He goes from his trouble reporting a mouse in his hotel room, to his deftly working the systematic “way of doing things around here” in Turkey.

The thing about this book that made me want to travel to Turkey was his description of his travels – a description that, I suspect, today wouldn’t hold up. Beautiful undiscovered beaches are probably overrun by bikinied tourists; and Trojan ruins tenanted by sheep and archeologists are probably overrun with sheepish tour groups.

This book also provided me with the perfect gift solution for that hard-to-shop-for guy in your life. (Cover your ears, guys.)

Flashlights.

A flashlight plays a key role in one of the stories in this book, as a gift to a young man who is undergoing an initiation into manhood. And it has become a go-to gift for any man that I can’t think of another gift for. You can start with a simple flashlight, then go to head-lamps, solar lanterns, hand-cranked light/radios, small-but-powerful pocket-sized lights, snake lights. I once made my grandfather very happy with a set of flashlights in graduating sizes. Flashlights also make great stocking stuffers.

So there you have it, ladies. The next time you’re racking your brain for something to give your husband who has it all for Father’s Day, Birthday, or Christmas: Flashlights.

You’re welcome.