Gift advice: present for high school graduate interested in math I am a PhD student in mathematics who recently found out that I will be attending my girlfriend's cousin's high school graduation party. I have never met the cousin, but hear that he is very interested in mathematics and is hoping to major in mathematics in college. He is taking Calculus BC (the equivalent of Calculus 2 at most colleges) now and is apparently doing quite well.
I am considering giving him a math book as a graduation present. The following texts immediately came to mind as decent candidates:


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*Elementary Number Theory by Underwood Dudley

*Calculus by Michael Spivak

*How to Prove it by Daniel Velleman


I think that they are all at about the right level. Further, these texts were instrumental in my early mathematical development. They provide for entertaining reads while still being substantive.
However, I would like some advice on the following matters,


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*Is a math text an appropriate graduation present?

*What other math texts might I consider?

*Would it be better to give a popular text such as Derbyshire's Prime Obsession?

Here's a non-book suggestion:
http://www.kleinbottle.com
This site sells glassware with the topological type of a klein bottle. It even has a klein-bottle mug! (http://www.kleinbottle.com/drinking_mug_klein_bottle.htm)
It's a pretty sweet thing to have if the guy likes topology.
