Unique Books Your Dad Will Use & Love
I recently bumped into my good friend Bob, who happens to deliver ice cream for a living. He had his book lamp out and was busy writing postcards … for Father’s Day. He told me that he has over 100 people on his mailing list, up from 80-something just a few years ago. Bob explained that he was writing Father’s Day notes for other men because sometimes it’s rare for dads to receive cards on the holiday. That’s disappointing.
Let’s face it: for anyone who has been in the card aisle at the grocery store or the dollar store, Father’s Day cards can be a bit corny. It seems that moms sometimes get all the attention with breakfast in bed, flowers, massage gift cards and maybe even a piece of jewelry. Dads are always the ones doing things for everyone else. And they can be a little bit harder to shop for. So, if you’re wondering what to get for your dad, uncle or second dad/father figure this Father’s Day, or for an upcoming birthday, here are a few ideas that are way better than flowers or a corny card.
1. Woodworking
501 Best Woodworking Tips and Hacks: Save Time and Money in Your Wood Shop, and Improve Your Skills
by Robert Settich
501 Best Woodworking Tips and Hacks: Save Time and Money in Your Wood Shop, and Improve Your Skills is the ultimate companion for woodworkers of all skill levels, offering smart, practical solutions to common problems and challenges in the shop. This guide is thoughtfully organized by process and packed with clear, reliable answers to the questions every woodworker faces.
Covering 16 essential chapters, this book dives into all the core aspects of woodworking, from designing projects and selecting materials to cutting joints, gluing and clamping, shaping, sanding and finishing. You'll also find invaluable tips on shop safety, sharpening tools, building jigs and fixtures, organizing your workspace, and more.
With its clear layout, easy-to-use index, and accessible Q&A format, this book is designed to keep you moving forward, whether you're planning your next build or troubleshooting mid-project. Backed by expert advice and decades of hands-on knowledge, 501 Best Woodworking Tips and Hacks is a must-have reference that brings clarity, confidence and efficiency to every part of your woodworking journey.
Our Pick: Crafty dads will appreciate these proven tips for starting and finishing projects faster and cheaper.
2. Golf
Ben Hogan's Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf
by Ben Hogan
With a new introduction by Lee Trevino, this is the first definitive edition of the timeless golf classic that has sold over a million copies--now with never-before-seen photos and memorabilia, hand-selected from the Hogan estate archive, as well as nearly 100 pages of new writings that expand on Hogan's unbelievable life story and extraordinary career.
Over the past 65 years, millions of golfers have studied Ben Hogan's Five Lessons, making it the bestselling golf book of all time. Now, Hogan's masterpiece has received the definitive edition it deserves. Widely regarded as one of the greatest golfers in the history of the sport, Hogan is especially known for his mastery of the golf swing.
At the start of his career, he played with a hook that threatened to ruin his game, until he dedicated himself to correcting it -- and in doing so, he gained a rare and hard-fought understanding of the fundamentals. Curious fans itched for clues about his legendary technique, dubbed "the secret," that allowed him to persevere and even return to the height of his powers after a car crash that shattered his body and almost took his life in 1949. His terse answer, "I dug it out of the dirt" -- the dirt of the driving range -- fueled the Hogan mystique. He went on to become one of only five players to win all four professional championships, claiming nine major championships in total.
In 1957, Hogan partnered with Herbert Warren Wind, "the dean of American golf writers" (The New York Times), and illustrator Anthony Ravielli to capture his expertise from the peak of his career in a series of lessons. Hogan believed that any golfer with average coordination can learn to break eighty. In each chapter, a different tested fundamental is explained and demonstrated with clear illustrations, as though Hogan were giving you a personal lesson with the same skill and precision that made him a legend.
Now expanded with a new introduction by Lee Trevino, essays about Hogan and the book's legacy, unpublished photos of the publicity-shy Hogan, and more, this definitive edition offers greater context and fresh insight into an icon of the game.
Our Pick: Written by the legend himself, this is a must-have for any golfer's bookshelf. If you pops already has this one, try The Golf Bucket List (perfect for travelers) or Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect (great for those who take their score a little too seriously).
3. Grilling
New School Barbecue: Recipes for Next-Level Smoking and Grilling from Austin's Leroy and Lewis
by Evan Leroy - Paula Forbes - Daniel Vaughn
Eater: 15 Spring Cookbooks We're Excited About This Year
Michelin-starred pitmaster Evan LeRoy breaks down his secrets to the best barbecue in the nation, sharing nearly 100 innovative techniques and recipes that have made LeRoy and Lewis one of Austin's most popular barbecue joints.
This barbecue bible is essential reading for any griller who wants to learn from the best. LeRoy shares the tenets of barbecue with illustrations, step-by-step photography and nearly 100 delicious recipes for mains, sides and desserts that run the gamut from bacon ribs to smoked banana pudding.
Barbecue is not a set menu; it's a cooking method. Nobody knows this better than Austin-based chef Evan LeRoy. As the co-owner, pitmaster, and mastermind chef at LeRoy and Lewis, one of the most popular and acclaimed BBQ joints in Texas (not an easy feat), LeRoy has reinvigorated the old style and staked his claim as a modern master of the barbecue game.
In New School Barbecue, LeRoy encourages home cooks to think differently about the barbecue they're already familiar with, going beyond the "classic" dishes everyone serves. The methods he outlines can be applied to any cut of any meat (including lamb, chicken, beef, goat and pork), any type of produce (avocados, cauliflower, squash, and more) and almost any cuisine.
And LeRoy's techniques work on all kinds of outdoor cookers: offset smoker, pellet smoker, a kamado grill, or an old-fashioned Weber kettle grill, so anyone will be able to apply his recipes and recommendations to their setup.
This book is perfect for fans of Franklin Barbecue who want to take their dishes one step further with new flavors, techniques, and ingredients.
Our Pick: There's nothing like dad throwing meat on the grill to bring the whole family running. Enough said!
4. Sports
The Magical Game: The Spirit and History of Baseball's Superstitions, Rituals, and Curses
by Addy Baird
This is the story of baseball's rich magical history and the centuries-old culture of superstition in the sport. It is a love letter to the jinxes, curses, rituals and myths of baseball's past and present -- and to the innate mysticism of the game.
For more than 150 years, a magical culture has been central to the game of baseball: At the turn of the 20th century, a battle between two lucky mascots defined early World Series matchups. Soon after, two generational curses spawned decades of heartbreaking losses for the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox. Today, players like Bryce Harper perform at-bat rituals, fans refuse to wash the jerseys of their favorite players and baseball people everywhere refuse to utter the words "no-hitter" before there's been a hit.
In The Magical Game, journalist and converted baseball fan Addy Baird turns her reporter's eye to her favorite sport, investigating the roots of these magical practices and telling the story of baseball's long history of superstition, rituals, curses, jinxes, hoodoos and hexes. Spanning three centuries of baseball history and three dozen more of magical history, Baird takes readers through fascinating, forgotten tidbits in the sport, untangles the game's legends and considers baseball's uncertain future.
In the face of recent MLB rule changes and the rise of advanced statistics, Baird looks at the many decades of concern about baseball's declining popularity and the evolution of the sport, as well as why and how a culture of magic has remained strong at the core of the game for so many years.
Funny, poetic and deeply researched, The Magical Game will make readers fall in love with baseball all over again.
Our Pick: Your dad doesn't have to be superstitious to enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at America's pasttime.
5. Brewing
Beer Brewing 101: A Beginner's Guide to Homebrewing for Craft Beer Lovers
by John Krochune - Mike Warren
Here's to brewing your first craft beer. Cheers!
You love craft beer -- now imagine brewing it in your own home. With complete, step-by-step instructions, Beer Brewing 101 makes it easy to begin crafting fresh, homemade beer. Jump right in by using a beer kit to brew up your first delicious batch--everything you need to know is here.
This guide's simple approach to beer brewing uses malt extract, a perfect entryway for first-time home brewers because it requires less equipment and a shorter brew time. Once you've learned the basics, you can dive into the wide assortment of favorite beer recipes. After a little more practice, you'll even get a helping hand designing your own signature brew!
Beer Brewing 101 includes:
- Quick reference: A detailed supplies list, glossary of beer brewing terms, and at-a-glance charts of hop varieties, yeast strains and malt extracts help set you up for success.
- 30 beer recipes: Try your hand at Czech Pilsner, West Coast Style IPA and German Hefeweizen, along with formulas for recreating popular branded craft beers.
- To the rescue: Is your beer not fermenting? Does it have an off aroma or too much foam? Find the answers to common problems you might encounter while beer brewing.
Discover the joys of homebrewing your own delicious craft beer with Beer Brewing 101.
Our Pick: Penned by YouTube's Brew Dudes, this how-to book makes brewing accessible for any beer-drinking dad. Cheers to that!
6. Coffee
Craft Coffee: A Manual: Brewing a Better Cup at Home
by Jessica Easto - Andreas Willhoff
Named a top food & drink book of 2017 by Food Network, Wired, Sprudge and Booklist.
This comprehensive but accessible handbook is for the average coffee lover who wants to make better coffee at home. Unlike other coffee books, this one focuses exclusively on coffee, not espresso, and explores multiple pour-over, immersion and cold-brew techniques on 10 different devices.
Thanks to a small but growing number of dedicated farmers, importers, roasters and baristas, coffee quality is at an all-time high. But for nonprofessionals, achieving café quality at home can seem out of reach. With dozens of equipment options, conflicting information on how to use that equipment and an industry language that, at times, doesn't seem made for the rest of us, it can be difficult to know where to begin.
Craft Coffee: A Manual, written by a coffee enthusiast for coffee enthusiasts, is a comprehensive guide to improving your brew at home. The book provides all the information readers need to discover what they like in a cup of specialty coffee and how to replicate the perfect cup day after day.
From the science of extraction and brewing techniques to choosing equipment and deciphering coffee bags, Craft Coffee focuses on issues like cost, time, taste, and accessibility that home coffee brewers negotiate and shows that no matter where you are in your coffee journey, you can make a great cup at home.
Our Pick: Help your dad take his coffee game to the next level. It's the perfect gift to pair with a bag of locally roasted beans.
7. Space Exploration
The NASA Archives. 45th Ed.
by Piers Bizony
On October 1, 1958, the world's first civilian space agency opened for business as an emergency response to the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik a year earlier. Within a decade, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, universally known as NASA, had evolved from modest research teams experimenting with small converted rockets into one of the greatest technological and managerial enterprises ever known, capable of sending people to the Moon aboard gigantic rockets and of dispatching robot explorers to Venus, Mars and worlds far beyond.
In spite of occasional, tragic setbacks in NASA's history, the Apollo lunar landing project remains a byword for American ingenuity; the winged space shuttles spearheaded the International Space Station and a dazzling array of astronomical satellites and robotic landers, and Earth observation programs have transformed our understanding of the cosmos and our home world's fragile place within it.
Throughout NASA's 60-year history, images have played a central role. Who today is not familiar with the Hubble Space Telescope's mesmerizing views of the universe or the pin-sharp panoramas of Mars from NASA's surface rovers? And who could forget the photographs of the first men walking on the Moon?
This compact edition is derived from our XL edition, which was researched in collaboration with NASA, and gathers hundreds of historic photographs and rare concept renderings, scanned and remastered using the latest technology. Texts by science and technology journalist Piers Bizony, former NASA chief historian Roger Launius, and best-selling Apollo historian Andrew Chaikin round out this comprehensive exploration of NASA, from its earliest days to its current development of new space systems for the future.
The NASA Archives is more than just a fascinating pictorial history of the U.S. space program. It is also a profound meditation on why we choose to explore space and how we will carry on this grandest of all adventures in the years to come.
Our Pick: From Neil Armstrong to the current Artemis III mission, space exploration has fascinated us for decades. This is the perfect pick for those who like to nerd out on the beauty and science of outer space.
8. Jerky
Jerky: The Essential Cookbook with Over 50 Recipes for Drying, Curing, and Preserving Meat
by Keith Sarasin
Jerky is the essential cookbook for preparing, drying and curing meats!
Whether you're a hunter in need of preserving the game that you've harvested or simply a fan of jerky but don't want to keep spending money on store-bought options, Jerky: The Essential Cookbook has you covered. The book features over 100 recipes with easy-to-follow instructions for making a dizzying array of flavorful types of jerky, for all types of animal protein.
Inside this cookbook, you'll find:
- Through breakdowns of tools, food safety and types of meat that provide a solid foundation
- Marinades and seasonings pulled from cuisines around the globe
- Recipes for fruit leather and vegetarian jerky so you can amplify flavor and reduce waste
Learn the basics of making jerky and then explore how to work with various meats. Homemade jerky is nutritious and lasts, ensuring you and yours will always have an ample supply of healthy and delicious snacks on hand.
Our Pick: Jerky is having a moment. Help you dad join in the fun. You might be lucky enough to enjoy a sample!
9. Thriller
Clive Cussler Cold Fire
by Graham Brown
When a NATO weapon that could ensure peace or start World War Three vanishes in the Arctic, Kurt Austin and NUMA race to recover it before it falls into enemy hands in the latest novel in the #1 New York Times-bestselling series created by the "grand master of adventure" Clive Cussler.
In the frigid air high above the Arctic Ocean an American C-17 carrying a cutting-edge laser of immense power, successfully shoots down a ballistic missile nearly 400 miles away. Before the celebration can even begin, the aircraft goes dark, vanishing off radar and disappearing into mist at the top of the world.
As the details emerge it becomes obvious that the aircraft has been hijacked, the crew murdered at their stations. Its last known heading would take it directly to Russia, but the CIA insisted it never arrived. An odd signal suggests it crashed into the Arctic Ocean halfway between Norway and the North Pole. In a tense meeting the President asks how deep the waters are in that area. Not deep enough, is the answer.
Russian ships are seen putting out to sea in large numbers. Chinese vessels are spotted north of Norway. The only American asset in the area is a small research vessel operated by NUMA. The President orders NUMA to send it into the fray. Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala lead the search but soon find that all is not as it seems. The Chinese were waiting for the planes arrival, the Russians had expected it to land on their territory and now all three are closing in on a shooting war to keep the others from finding the missing plane.
With the rules of engagement suspended and lives hanging in the balance, Kurt and the NUMA special projects team pull on the threads connecting the mystery only to discover the great nations of the world being manipulated by a single man with a deadly plan of revenge.
Our Pick: This high-stakes thriller is packed with real-world issues for dads who enjoy fiction based on current events.
10. Mystery
London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth
by Patrick Radden Keefe
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - From the bestselling, prizewinning author of Say Nothing and Empire of Pain, a spellbinding account of a family devastated by the sudden death of their 19-year-old son, only to discover that he had created a secret life, which drew him into the dangerous criminal underworld that lies beneath London's glittering surface.
A NEW YORK TIMES BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR SO FAR
In the early morning of November 29th, 2019, surveillance cameras at the headquarters of MI6, Britain's spy agency, captured video of a young man pacing back and forth on a high balcony of Riverwalk, a luxury tower on the bank of the river Thames. At 2:24 a.m., he jumped into the river.
In a quiet London neighborhood several miles away, Rachelle Brettler was worried about her son. Zac had told her that he had gone to stay with a friend for the weekend, but then he did not come home. Days later, a police car pulled up and two officers relayed the dreadful news: Her son was dead.
In their unbearable grief, Rachelle and her husband Matthew struggled to understand what had happened to Zac. He had had his troubles, but in no way seemed suicidal. As they would soon discover, however, there was a lot they did not know about their son. Only after his death did they learn that he had adopted a fictitious alter ego: Zac Ismailov, son of a Russian oligarch and heir to a great fortune.
Under this guise, Zac had become entangled with a slippery London businessman named Akbar Shamji and a murderous gangster known as Indian Dave. As the Brettlers set about investigating their son's death, they were pulled into a different and more dangerous London than the one they'd always known, and came to believe that something much more nefarious than a suicide had claimed Zac's life. But to their immense frustration, Scotland Yard seemed unable or unwilling to bring the perpetrators to justice.
In a bravura feat of reporting and writing, Patrick Radden Keefe chronicles the Brettlers' quest, peeling back layers of mystery and exposing the seedy truths behind the glamorous London of posh mansions and private nightclubs, a city in which everything is for sale, and aspirational fantasies are underwritten by dirty money and corruption.
London Falling is a mesmerizing investigation of an inexplicable death and a powerful narrative driven by suspense and staggering revelations. But it's also an intimate and deeply poignant inquiry into the nature of parental love and the challenges of being a parent today, a portrait of a family trying to solve the riddle not just of how their son died, but of who he really was in life.
Our Pick: This is a real-life mystery based on actual events, perfect for dads who enjoy a thrilling page turner where truth is stranger than fiction.
11. Politics & Espionage
The Official CIA Manual of Trickery and Deception
by H Keith Melton - Robert Wallace
Once a top-secret training manual for CIA field agents in the early Cold War Era of the 1950s, The Official CIA Manual of Trickery and Deception is now available to the general public. An amazing historical artifact, this eye-opening handbook offered step-by-step instructions to covert intelligence operatives in all manner of spycraft, sleight of hand and trickery designed to thwart the Communist enemy.
Part of the Company's infamous MK-ULTRA, a secret mind-control and chemical interrogation research program, this legendary, now declassified document, the brainchild of John Mulholland, then America's most famous magician, was believed lost forever. But thanks to former CIA gadgeteer Bob Wallace and renowned spycraft historian H. Keith Melton, The Official CIA Manual of Trickery and Deception is now available to everyone, spy and civilian alike.
This landmark document reveals the secret tradecraft of clandestine operations:
- Cold War Espionage: Uncover the methods developed to thwart the Communist enemy during one of the most dangerous periods in U.S. history.
- Surreptitious Delivery: Learn step-by-step sleight of hand instructions for covertly handling tablets, powders and liquids, designed by America's most famous magician, John Mulholland.
- Deception Techniques: Master the arts of misdirection, secret communication and surreptitious removal of objects from the perspective of a master illusionist.
- MK-ULTRA Secrets: Gain insight into the CIA's infamous mind-control research program and the legendary, long-lost manual that was part of it.
Our Pick: If you dad enjoys James Bond and deep dives into Cold War politics, this is the perfect pick for Father's Day.
12. Automotive
100 Cars That Changed the World: The Designs, Engines, and Technologies That Drive Our Imaginations
100 Cars That Changed the World showcases vehicles from the end of the 19th century to 2020.
- Cars are showcased with brief text, color photography and vintage black and white photography.
- Vehicles included:
- The Ford Model T that put America on wheels.
- The Volkswagen Beetle that was loved around the world.
- The Jeep that helped win World War II and popularized off-road adventure.
- The Pontiac GTO that launched the muscle car era.
- The Dodge Caravan that changed the way that families travel.
- The Ford Explorer that ignited the SUV movement.
- The Tesla Model S that made electric cars exciting.
- And many more!
- Large hardcover book, 144 pages.
Our Pick: Your dad doesn't have to gearhead to enjoy this collection of iconic American vehicles, from the VW Beetle to the Dodge Caravan. Chances are your dad owned and drove one of these American classics or had a friend who did.
13. Philosophy
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance [50th Anniversary Edition]: An Inquiry Into Values
50th anniversary edition - With a new foreword by Matthew B. Crawford, author of Shop Class as Soulcraft
The bestselling masterpiece about one man's search for meaning on a motorcycle trip through the American West -- an enduring examination of how we live and how to live better
One of the most important and influential books of the past half century, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is Robert M. Pirsig's classic exploration of human experience and endeavor. Pirsig's narrative of a father and son on a summer motorcycle trip becomes a profound personal and philosophical odyssey into life's fundamental questions.
A true modern classic, it remains at once touching and transcendent, resonant with the myriad confusions of existence and the small, essential triumphs that propel us forward.
"Profoundly important … Full of insights into our most perplexing contemporary dilemmas." -- New York Times
Our Pick: More than 50 years later, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance remains a classic, with elements of philosophy, Zen and the magic of a father-son roadtrip.
At the end of the day, skipping the generic necktie or the predictable Hallmark card is about showing the fathers in your life that you see them for who they are. Whether your dad is perfecting his backyard grilling technique, working on his golf swing or just beginning to enjoy retirement, a carefully chosen book is a gift that lingers long after the holiday weekend wraps up.
So take a cue from Bob’s playbook: make sure the men in your life feel celebrated, understood and thoroughly entertained this Father’s Day. Turn the page on predictable gifting. A great read is exactly what his nightstand or end table is waiting for. While you can always head over to Amazon, Barnes & Noble or BAM, check out your local independent book store, or visit Bookshop.org, which gives a percentage back to independent booksellers. No cheesy cards required!