Know someone who is graduating from high school and heading off to college? Sure, the graduate will be inundated with text books, but how-to and inspirational books can be of great assistance in the graduate's quest.

Prepare your graduate for the rigors of finding a job with books that detail how to make a résumé. This is an important skill to master for any new graduate. If your graduate is moving out of the house and setting up in an apartment then a how-to-cook book can be quite invaluable. A simple cookbook with basic recipes can be just the thing to tear the graduate away from peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every night for dinner. If your graduate's new living quarters are less than perfect you may want to consider giving a complete do-it-yourself manual that details how to fix anything from leaky toilets to a hole in the wall. Since many graduates cannot necessarily afford to hire contractors to fix items in need of repair, giving a book detailing the proper way to complete home repair tasks might be one of the best money-saving gifts the graduate receives.

Inspirational books are great for graduates and keep them motivated during long hours at the library. Get your graduate a quote-of-the-day book, or a daily meditation book with scriptures and sayings that will help motivate the student.

Bored with the everyday rituals? Need a new gig? Consider taking up a hobby to bide your time. But what to do? There are so many activities to pursue, how do you know what's right for you?

A quick trip to the bookstore may reveal an appealing new hobby that you night try out. The bookshelves in a bookstore will offer everything from antique collecting to quilting to yoga retreats. Want to learn how to play poker? There's a book for that! Need help scrapbooking? Check out some scrapbook books that offer innovative ideas for beginners and advanced scrapbookers. Maybe you've always wanted to break into community theater. Grab a book that offers up some history of community theater and gives tips on improv and auditioning.

Once you stumble upon a particular topic that appeals to you, thumb through a few pages of the book to make sure you understand the subject matter. For example, if you purchase a book about playing poker that is written by a mathematical expert who wrote the book for gamblers looking to make millions, this book may not delve into the basics of poker, which is what a beginning player needs. Mathematical formulas and probability theories will do you little good when you aren't even sure what a royal flush is.

Instead of picking up the first hobby book you find, be sure to take the time to flip through the pages to make sure that the book suits your lifestyle, your knowledge and gives you the tools you need to jump start your new hobby.

The next time you are invited to a baby shower consider taking a trip to your local bookstore for the expectant couple. Having a new baby can be a scary experience for the new parents. While cute outfits and soft toys are a lot of fun to give as gifts, an informative how-to book that explains the particulars surrounding the first year with baby can be a blessing.

There is so much to learn: how to give a baby a bath, how to burp a baby, and how to check a baby's temperature, what kind of car seat to buy, how to baby-proof the house, and many other baby details. A quality parenting book will be filled with easy to find sections that quickly detail everything the parents need to know. For example, a section detailing the steps involved in clipping a baby's fingernails need not be highly complicated, but it should offer enough valuable insights to make the book worthwhile.

Remember that some of the information in these types of books will be referenced by weary parents in the middle of the night – such as what to do when the baby has a fever or when the baby won't sleep – so the format of the book should be simple, yet informative. Let the new parents buy the more in-depth books full of expert theories later on. For now, all they need are the basics.

Just because you didn't learn to play a musical instrument when you were a kid doesn't mean you can't learn as an adult. Forget all the excuses - with all the how-to books available for first-time musicians there is no excuse not to try your hand at playing your favorite instrument.

You can purchase books to teach you step-by-step how to play guitar, piano, harmonica, and more. In fact, you can buy musical instrument kits that come complete with the instrument and an instructional guide. But, if you would like a more detailed instructional manual then you will want to purchase an extensive guide that is designed to guide you through the music process and help you master the craft.

Some people can learn how to play an instrument just by reading instructions in a book while other people need an accompanying instructional video or audio cassette. You may even be the type of person who needs to take one-on-one lessons with a music instructor while using a book for further instruction. No matter what method helps move you along more quickly in your quest to become a musician, you can rest assured that there is an appropriate how-to book that can help you.

You just conquered the American Dream - you bought your first home. Now that you have it, how do you make sure it stays in tip-top shape? Your first plan of action: get a book!

Head to the local library or bookstore and shop around the home improvement books section. You can find home how-to books filled with quick-fixes for the most common home improvement tasks. These home how-to books will give you step-by-step instructions on how to complete the projects without creating a disaster area in your house.

No need for home improvement? How about home decorating? You may find the inspiration you need to redecorate the rooms of your home or perhaps get some great ideas for outdoor décor. Sometimes all it takes is a picture in a book to inspire a person to make some needed improvements to a home.

Look for books that feature plenty of photos and step-by-step instructions for the projects you wish to undertake. All the inspiration in the world can't show you how to properly complete a home improvement or decorating project, so make sure the books you choose feature easy to follow instructions so you can complete the projects properly.

Everyone wants to make more money, but do you know how to make more money? Reaching your financial goals through savings and investment vehicles is a complicated and daunting process. Thankfully, there are plenty of financial instruction books available to help guide you through the investing, savings and spending process.

Whether you choose a book on how to save money, a book on how to invest, or even a book on how to start a business, the information you'll learn will be imperative to your savings -- and don't worry, you don't need to be an economics major to figure these books out. Financial experts who write these books condense their huge amount of knowledge about money into smaller, more digestible books that relate to the everyday saver and spender.

You don't need to be a seasoned investor to buy stocks, and you don't need a degree in management to start your own business. All you need is enough information to get you started. Save the extensive books for when you have the basics down and you're ready to expand. Until then, look for introductory how-to books and you'll be well on your way to increasing the money in your bank account.

Some people were born to tinker with tools and take care of various repairs. The majority of people, however, don't know the difference between a power drill and a monkey wrench. If this sounds like you, consider investing in a few quality how-to tool books that will teach you how to tackle repairs and maybe even how to build a few handy things around the house. With a comprehensive do-it-yourself tool book you can learn how to quiet a squeaky bicycle wheel, install a ceiling fan, and build a birdhouse all within the pages of one book.

Maybe you have a project in mind that you're finally ready to attempt. Pick up a book that details the steps for that project in depth. If, on the other hand, you simply want a book to show you the basic steps involved in a variety of projects, then take a look at the how-to section of your local bookstore or library. You will probably walk out of there with a large instructional book filled with plenty of projects that you are ready to attempt. Who knows... you may actually like fiddling around with the items in your toolbox and find more broken items to fix around the house.