Once again you are hit with the weighty problem of finding gifts for men that will knock their socks off. Who is it this time? Your husband/boyfriend/lover/significant other? Your best mate? Your dad? Your son? Your brother? Your uncle? Your granddad? Trying to find good gifts for men can be a challenge, however well you may think you know them.

Men come in a range of shapes and sizes and may have a variety of interests but they tend to have certain things in common. Here are a few points to keep in mind when seeking out gifts for men.

He doesn't want to be criticised or improved and doesn't like to be told what to do or how to do it
Don't say "I got you a calendar (or diary) because you're so disorganised and never remember when things are." He won't thank you for it. Let him think it was his idea. Say "I got you this because you said you wanted to be more organised next year". Why not choose a personalised one with an appropriate theme?

He likes to be in control
How about a gift that puts him firmly in the driving seat? Give him the chance to find out firsthand what it's like to control an aircraft, a helicopter or a top of the range sports car. If that's outside your price range, how about a Radio Controlled Forklift Truck or a Head Boy Badge? Or a Remote Control device that works (with a little help from the power of positive thinking) on the Boss, the Cat, the Dog, the Kids or even the Woman in his life. Yeah right!

He likes to know what's going on in the world
Get him an original newspaper for any date, either to commemorate a world shattering event or a day of significance to him personally. Or put him in the headlines with a spoof news story.

He doesn't want to be told where to go
He may know where he's going but can he remember where he's been? Get him a World Map on which to plot his travels or a Travel Journal in which to keep his souvenirs and jot down notes and memories. If his travels are on a more localised scale; how about an engraved London underground map?

He likes to be successful
Challenge him to solve a puzzle, build a model car, learn to juggle or grow something unusual. Or make him the hero of his own personalised football commentary.

He likes a laugh
Fuel his funny side with Crime Scene or Barbed Wire toilet paper. Or keep him chuckling wherever he goes with A Little Britain Key chain featuring 12 classic quotes. If he prefers his laughs to come at someone else's expense, A Dad's Cab Taxi Meter will make sure he gets rewarded for all those lifts he keeps getting asked for.

He gets a bit cross when things don't quite go to plan
Let him take out his pent up aggression on the Dead Fred Pen Holder. Or destroy some aliens. Or he can spear those errant sausages with the BBQ Sword.

He never knows where anything is
There are plenty of gifts for men that will help. Is he always rifling through the kitchen drawers demanding to know what you've done with the bottle opener? How about a magnetic one that sticks to the fridge? Or a Loc8or that will help him find his valuables quickly and easily. Or a Vehicle Document File to save him from hunting high and low for the insurance and MOT certificates when the car tax is due.

He likes to feel special
Personalised bottles of champagne, whisky or port make great gifts for men who enjoy a classy tipple. Or, if he's not a drinker, how about his own unique specially blended tea? Or choose from a range of personalised gifts for men featuring his name or initials, including mugs, prints, posters, calendars, diaries, money boxes, money clips or cuff links.

He likes to feel loved and wanted
Get him something that reminds him every day how much you love him. Have your own personal message of affection engraved on a tankard, wine glasses, key ring, pen holder, cuff link box or Silver Star paperweight. A few well chosen words can turn classic gifts for men into unique keepsakes. Or get him a "Nuts about you" key ring or a fridge magnet that reveals the Secret of True Love.

There is no need to knock yourself out trudging round the shops, all these gifts for men can be ordered on line.