At some point, a few months ago, CERN was the center of the world’s concern. Since the successful experiment, only the scientific community has been preoccupied with the ongoing development of the project, mainly because many didn’t understand exactly what happened and how important it was.
So the Voyage to the Heart of Matter: The Atlas Experiment at CERN pop-up book can be as useful for you as it’ll be for your child/children. No need to search for articles all over the Internet. All the basics are explained and there are also models of the LHC that you can study and turn inside out. There are also sketches, pictures and a detailed explanation of how the LHC works. I think this would make a great birthday present for a kid passionate about science.

How much under $29.99?
A little: $24.75 on Amazon.

Via Uberreview.

Being a book lover has its downsides: if you have a sizable collection, friends are going to start wanting to borrow this and that novel. And, as an unspoken law goes, most books are lost through people you know… No harm meant, but people simply forget and then assume it was theirs to begin with.

When you’re sick of that, the Knock Knock Personal Library Kit can make you feel like a real librarian. The wooden box comes with 30 self-adhesive pockets, insert cards and “For Reference Only” stickers, a date stamp, a stamp pad and a pencil, all ready to be used and hopefully ensure safe return of the books.

Just be careful: don’t turn into that evil librarian all the kids hated. You don’t want your friends to stop borrowing from you because you’re treating them like bastards who will destroy the books.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $19.99 on Amazon.com.

Via Outblush

Sometimes fashion is noy just about looking pretty; it’s also about making a statement.

One of the most important statements a person can make is speaking up against censorship… and for book lovers there’s nothing more important than to read whatever they feel like without some higher authority looking after their so-called well-being. Books have been challenged or even banned on stupid reasons, and letting easily-offended people get their way is not the basis of a free society.

The Banned Books Bracelet is the perfect accessory to show your support for the freedom of reading – especially during Banned Books Week (the next one is held on September 26 – October 3, 2009). Featuring covers of classics like To Kill a Mockingbird, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Huckleberry Finn plus a black link with “I read banned books”, the bracelet will be a great conversation starter on an important topic and a perfect way to express a book lover’s personality.

How much under $29.99?
Some: $20 on AfternoonOnline1.Stores.Yahoo.net.

Via FashionablyGeek

As a book lover, this breaks my heart. Yes, I knew that there are many people who use books simply as decoration, but I assumed they simply bought books with good-looking spines and never read them.

However, you can buy them as simple decoration – although “simple” is not the right word, since they are beautiful leather bound tomes. The Decorative Books come in many colors, sizes and types, from the “less than perfect” books with slight defects to the unusual colored or hand-picked ones. Prices vary from $6 to $28 for a book, depending on the category, and you can even order them by the foot or by the yard to fill up the exact amount of bookcase space you want.

You can only order 10 tomes or more, so technically this doesn’t fall under “everything under $29.99″, but I couldn’t resist writing about them. I admit these look very good, but I still say real books are much better.

How much under $29.99?
Between $6 and $28 on BookDecor.com.

Via uncrate

World of Warcraft is not a simple game, but it’s not that complex either. If you want to learn about something, you will find an answer online, no question about it. But if you’re lazy, get the book.

Hacking World of Warcraft won’t teach you anything forbidden by the game rules; instead it will give you some of the basic (or more advanced) things you need to know to have a nice stay in Azeroth and the Outlands. From add-on suggestions and how to make a macro to creating your own add-ons, you can be sure there’s something you didn’t know before. And author Dan Gilbert should know what he’s talking about, since he’s the guy who wrote one of the most popular add-ons, Atlas.

But, while the book does look interesting, I really don’t see the point of paying almost $30 for it. All the information is available online, you only have to look for it. With the help of google, a couple of add-on websites and your guildies, there’s nothing you can’t find out.

How much under $29.99?
A little: $27.99 on ThinkGeek.com.

If you are a good son or daughter, you bought your Mother’s Day present weeks ago. But, hm, let’s admit some of us are busy or forgetful and we find ourselved looking for gifts at the last moment. Or maybe you’re just looking for an extra something to add to your mother’s pack of goodies. So we put together this handy top 7 affordable gifts for Mother’s Day to help you out.

7. How to Traumatize your Children. Doesn’t sound like the right present for a mother, but if she has a sense of humor she’ll love it. Plus you can read it with her, make fun of childhood “traumas” (the infamous naked-baby-on-blankie photo?) and share good memories.

6. Automatic Needle Threader. My mum likes to sew, but her eyesight is not good enough anymore and threading needles is nearly impossible for her without help. An automatic tool to do that would be a great gift for any woman who likes to sew (even without eye problems, threading needles is no fun).

5. Solar Car Air Purifier. A gift for smoking mothers. Bad habit, but hey, she’s an adult and she can choose for herself. What you can do is make it a little better for her: cleaner air in the car will mean a more pleasant ride (for her and the passengers).

4. Grobal Self-Watering Pots. This one is for mothers who like potted plants, but are too busy to spend a lot of time with them. These special pots have to be refilled once in a while and they will “water” the flowers without any input. You mother will be able to do gardening in her own free time without worrying that her plants will wither if she is not around for a couple of days.

3. Equal measure. If your mum is a bit of a geek, but also spends time in the kitchen, she’ll love the combination of useful and useless. What other kitchen utensil can help you bake cookies and teach you what size was the brain of a T-Rex?

2. Binary Mom t-shirt. Is your mum even geekier? Well then she needs a t-shirt to proclaim that. In binary. Chances are a mum who knows binary will have friends who do and who’ll appreciate the t-shirt.

1. Egg-and-Muffin 2-Slice Toaster and Egg Poacher. We all know our mums work hard to keep us happy, so they should be allowed to indulge themselves a little. Two pieces of toast, one egg, instant breakfast with no effort!

A happy Mother’s Day to mums everywhere and hope this little guide was helpful!

I’m a book lover. If you want to make me happy, get me a book I really want. I mostly read fantasy novels, but once in a while I like to unwind with a real funny book. (Not that you can’t find funny fantasy, but I’ve read all but 3 Discworld books and I’m saving them for special times.)

Anyway, How to Traumatize your Children sounds like an… interesting idea, let’s say. First off, I admit I haven’t read many parenting books, because:
1. I don’t have kids, nor plan to have any in the near future;
2. I think they’re crap (the books, not the children).

Judging by the type of advice (“Exerting control: Your child, your property”), many parents would be better off reading this one. Sometimes exaggeration is a good way of getting a point across, and coupled with some humor it can do wonders.

The only scary thought is this book ending up with someone who takes it seriously… As we all watch the news… we know some people should have never had children.

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $10 on PerpetualKid.com.

Via OhGizmo!

When I’m not online looking for cool new products, I read. A lot. I’m also a bit obsessed with knowing what each little reference is about, so my books are usually filled with various on-the-spot bookmarks, such as receipts or candy wrappers. I never remember to take a proper bookmark or sticky tabs… but oh, I would if I had these.

The Punctuation Page Markers are self adhesive sticky tabs that come in five very attractive attractive designs. Beside being very eye-candy, these can be useful for easy navigation. Question mark for something to look up, quotation marks for copying down a quote, exclamation mark for something important to re-read… I can see them being used very effectively in an academic environment, too.

How much under $29.99?
A lot: $7.99 on Organize.com.

Via Outblush