Why we can't get enough of gift guides

To buy is wasteful; to appreciate is human

When I was little my favorite thing to do at Christmas was page through catalogs and circle everything I wanted. Hearthsong catalog in particular. The company still exists, selling products made for kids of crunchy parents since the 1980s. They had forts you could set up inside the house. They had dollhouses made out of wood. Felted dolls. Shoes with sp…