Great Regulars: It's the holiday season, ready or not,

and books do make great gifts when thought is given to making the right choice. In difficult economic times, spending $40 or more on a coffee-table book feels like an extravagance to many shoppers. Cheaper alternatives abound, however. Here's a list of books worth giving, all of high quality and none more than $30:

from Jeff Baker: The Oregonian: Holiday gift guide: Books under $30

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