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- For some, experiential gifts that satisfy curiosity are more exciting than material items.
- We rounded up some of the best gifts for the voracious readers and learners in your life.
- They include books, online classes, and subscriptions such as MasterClass and Audible Plus.
Shopping for gifts is easy when you know someone has a penchant for puns or desperately needs a new suitcase. It's a little more challenging when the recipient is generally less into material goods and seems more thrilled by educational gifts like books or experiential presents like classes.
Luckily, there are plenty of unique presents for the voracious learners and readers out there. From engaging history books to online drawing classes to subscriptions like MasterClass, there are plenty of gifts for people who are always looking to learn something new.
20 perfect gifts for people who love learning new things
- Subscriptions
- Books
- Online classes
Subscriptions
MasterClass
For $15 a month (or $180 a year), MasterClass users can get unlimited access to over 100 celeb and expert-led courses, from writing with Margaret Atwood to cooking with Gordon Ramsay. Classes come with high-quality video lessons, PDF workbooks, and community forums. New courses are added each month.
Subscriptions are available for one month, three months, or a full year.
You can read a review of MasterClass here.
Book of the Month
For anyone who gets excited by new releases (but has trouble deciding which book to commit to), a Book of the Month subscription helps narrow it down by letting them pick one out of five selections each month to be delivered to their door.
Audible Plus
Offering subscriptions from 1-month ($15) to a full year ($150), Audible Plus gives listeners one credit a month to buy any audiobook they want, plus access to a library of thousands of audiobooks, podcasts, and more.
One Day University
An annual membership to One Day University gives subscribers access to multiple daily, live lectures on a broad range of topics, from the history of Stonewall from Harvard to a Yale course on how famous movie scenes were shot.
You can read a review of One Day University here.
Babbel
With a Babbel subscription, gift recipients can use a code to choose one of 14 languages to learn, from Spanish to Norwegian, and learn real-life phrases and conversation topics in this bestselling language app.
Books
'World Travel: An Irreverent Guide' by Anthony Bourdain and Laurie Woolever
Published in April, this travel guide of beloved chef Anthony Bourdain's favorite places comes with his personal suggestions on what to eat, where to go, and what to avoid, all told with the wit and warmth his fans have always loved. The book also comes with essays from Bourdain's friends and family offering their own reflections of the locations and their relationship with Bourdain.
'Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants' by Robin Wall Kimmerer
An Indigenous scientist and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Robin Wall Kimmerer believes that plants are our oldest teachers. This beautiful book explores the interconnection between human joy and ecological consciousness, making it a perfect gift for anyone who strives to understand the environment better.
'A Short History of Nearly Everything' by Bill Bryson
This funny, enlightening book is Bill Bryson's attempt to better understand the world as he interviews archaeologists, anthropologists, and mathematicians about everything from the Big Bang to the rise of human civilization.
'Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking' by Samin Nosrat
Turned into a Netflix show of the same name, this hit cookbook goes beyond other selections in the genre by breaking down the four major components of a great dish: salt, fat, acid, heat. With detailed explanations and drawings throughout, it's a must-have for beginner and expert chefs alike.
'Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen' by Christopher McDougall
In this fascinating and inspiring book, award-winning journalist and runner Christopher McDougall travels to Mexico's Copper Canyons to research the Tarahumara Indians, who can run hundreds of miles without rest or injury. The book eventually has the tribe race America's top ultra-runners, the recounting of the events as exhilarating as the race itself.
'Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know' by Malcolm Gladwell
Interviewing scientists, criminologists, and military psychologists — and looking at the famous cases of people like Amanda Knox, Bernie Madoff, and Sandra Bland — Malcolm Gladwell seeks answers to how we can better understand people we don't know.
'Meditations' by Marcus Aurelius
For fans of both history and philosophy, this classic book offers life lessons from Marcus Aurelius, a Roman emperor and important figure of the Stoicism movement. His commentary on human virtue, rationality, and leadership feels shockingly relevant today.
Kindle
The only thing better than a physical book is a Kindle so they can buy and download all their favorite books whenever they want. This version works well both indoors and outdoors and can connect with Audible for audiobooks and podcasts.
Online classes
The Ultimate Drawing Course: Beginner to Advanced Class
One of Udemy's most popular classes, this course walks aspiring artists through the basics of composition all the way through drawing human faces and figures.
Note: Udemy has frequent huge sales, so it's worth checking back to see if the price has gone down.
Fundamentals of Photography with John Greengo
Taught by an award-winning photographer, this course shows students how to find the right gear and understand how shutter speed, lighting, aperture, and more can drastically change a photo.
iPhone Photography - Take Professional Photos On Your iPhone
For that person in your life who loves taking photos on their phone, this course can help them find the right light and compositions for their pics, as well as edit them in Lightroom, a free Adobe app.
Note: Udemy has frequent huge sales, so it's worth checking back to see if the price has gone down.
Sangria and Secrets with Drag Taste
Great for groups, this live virtual course from Lisbon features drag queens sharing the recipe for Portuguese sangria — peppered with fun performances throughout.
Wired for Story: How to Become a Story Genius
Led by an experienced writing coach, this course teaches students how to tap into their natural creativity, cut down first drafts, and write more confidently. This can be a perfect gift for the National Novel Writing Month fan in your life.
Piano & Keyboard for Beginners: The Pianoforall Online Class
Meant for full beginners, this bestselling course comprehensively teaches students how to play piano both by ear and via sheet music, so they can get to playing real songs as quickly as possible.
Note: Udemy has frequent huge sales, so it's worth checking back to see if the price has gone down.
The Essential Crash Course for Guitar Beginners
Newbie guitar players rapidly learn scales, chords, strumming techniques, basic music theory, and more in this popular course.
Note: Udemy has frequent huge sales, so it's worth checking back to see if the price has gone down.
Julia Pugachevsky Senior Health Reporter Julia is a senior health reporter on the Insider Health team primarily covering skincare and relationships. Prior to that, she was the education and personal development editor on the Insider Reviews team and a sex and relationships editor at Cosmopolitan and BuzzFeed, respectively. You can say hi to Julia at jpugachevsky@businessinsider.com or shoot her a DM on Twitter or Instagram (she is @jaypugz on both) Read more Read lessncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o8HSoqWeq6Oeu7S1w56pZ5ufonyowcidnKxnnJqus7rIp55on5mbwbR5xaipZqiVpL2tsYywn6hlnKTDpnnLnpirppmjtA%3D%3D