There's something fun about destruction. We're talking controlled destruction, of course — tearing out a kitchen cabinet as you're getting ready to replace it, or smashing up an old appliance that's of no use to anyone.

Paper shredders hit that love-of-destruction sweet spot. Imagine slicing a ream of paper into slivers — all while protecting your identity, too.

As unsolicited credit card offers flood our mailboxes, we're told we have to rip up these forms to prevent would-be identity thieves from filling them out and racking up debts in our names.

All that ripping can be hard on the hands, as well as time-consuming. Like, we have nothing else to do? By comparison, an electric paper shredder emits a satisfying hum. It's destruction without the aggravation — addictive, even.

And it doesn't stop with junk mail. Old tax records and financial statements also have to be pulverized before they're discarded. Basically, anything with a social security number or any sort of bank account or credit card number can be of use to a crook. Just ask the 9 million Americans who were victims of identity theft last year.

Enter, the paper shredder. Once used mainly by companies or government departments handling supersensitive information, shredders have become everyday appliances offered at most any office supply shop. They're available at all price points, from as low as $10 (the light-duty version from Staples, after the mail-in rebate) to as high as $300.

No, you can't destroy your hotel suite like umpteen rock stars. But you can turn a pound of paper into dust.

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