The Best Nonfiction Book Gifts for Every Reader on Your List

For inquisitive new dog owners…

Puppy parent in your life? You can’t do much better than gifting them Kerry Nichols’s Puppy Brain. While her book about dogs is designed to help train a puppy, it offers far more insight than most other training manuals. In fact, Puppy Brain not only answers questions many canine owners have pondered, it also proposes strategies and approaches they’ve likely never considered. The focus here is not just on training your dog to use a crate or obey commands but understanding the inner workings of the canine brain to raise healthy, happy, and resilient pups. Puppy Brain is also packed with humor and adorable photos, making it as engaging as it is paws-itively delightful. 

For the open-minded science reader… 

A captivating exploration of the burgeoning field of psychedelic therapy, Ernesto Londoño’s Trippy makes a great gift for the deep thinkers on your list. The book merges in-depth research with first-person reflection as Londoño delves into the many ways psychedelics are being used across the globe for treatment and healing, from Indigenous leaders who view certain drugs as conduits to the spirit world to war veterans with PTSD who credit psychedelic medicine with radically changing their lives. A seasoned New York Times journalist, Londoño writes with authority and grace. Yet it’s the power and candor of his own mental health journey that elevates this book about psychedelics to a different level.    

For the film buff who enjoys a good laugh…

Steve Martin has elevated comedy in Hollywood to hilarious new heights — yet until now, he’s never written about his illustrious career in the movies. That all changes with Number One Is Walking, Martin’s “irresistibly charming” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) new memoir. Filled with gorgeous illustrations by New Yorker cartoonist Harry Bliss, the book is packed with delightful anecdotes and behind-the-scenes antics from Martin’s 40-year career in showbiz, featuring big names and plenty of laughs. Clever and entertaining, Number One Is Walking is sure to be a hit with the movie buffs and comedy fans on your list.

Looking for more hilarity this season? Check out A Wealth of Pigeons, Martin and Bliss’s bestselling humor book from 2020.

For those in need of a hopeful perspective…

We could all use a little extra cheer during the holiday season — and this inspirational New York Times bestseller definitely delivers. In The Book of Hope, renowned naturalist Jane Goodall sits down with Douglas Abrams to discuss her extraordinary career and champion the value of hope in the face of worldwide adversity. Through lively dialogues and candid accounts of her time in the field, Goodall shares the four reasons why she remains optimistic about the future of humankind and encourages readers to join her in the fight for a better world. Timely, intimate, and insightful, The Book of Hope will have you and your family moving into the new year with renewed optimism.

For comedy fans who enjoy delightful celebrity memoirs…

The eminently charming Henry Winkler shares his life story in this celebrity memoir brimming with humor and heart. The bestselling narrative is perfect for Fonzie fans or frankly anyone with a pulse. Winkler’s success spans decades, from his breakout performance on Happy Days to guest turns on Arrested Development and his Emmy-winning role on Barry. But the road to stardom wasn’t easy — and even after “making it,” fresh challenges arose. Winkler covers it all, offering frank reflections on the pressures of stardom, the difficulties of living with severe dyslexia, and the lifelong search to find happiness within yourself. 

For anybody looking to get more done in the new year…

Feel Good Productivity is sure to appeal to everyone on your gift list — after all, who isn’t ready for a fresh start? Written by Dr. Ali Abdaal, the New York Times bestselling productivity book is as transformative as it is enjoyable. In it, the author reveals how the key to being productive isn’t grinding through the workday and burning yourself out, it’s about cultivating joy in what you do. Abdaal draws on scientific research and the stories of accomplished individuals — from Olympic athletes to Nobel Prize–winning scientists — to illustrate the “energizers” that fuel our productivity, the “blockers” we must overcome, and the “sustainers” that prevent burnout and put us all on the path to lasting success. 

For the true crime fanatic…

Unmasked by Paul Holes is the instant New York Times bestseller from the detective who put the Golden State Killer behind bars. In this gritty, unflinching true crime memoir, Holes chronicles his career cracking cold cases and chasing down killers, and he delves into the personal challenges he’s grappled with over the years. Though he’s committed to the job and passionate about helping victims and their families, both the trauma he’s witnessed and the real-life nightmares he has endured have taken their toll — both on Holes himself and on his relationships with his loved ones. Unmasked is a powerful portrayal of the horrors, realities, and rewards of a lifetime of fighting crime and makes the perfect book gift for the true crime aficionado on your list.

For the book lover focused on criminal justice…

Dateline producer Dan Slepian’s The Sing Sing Files shines a powerful light on wrongful incarcerations in America, offering a stark reminder of the fragility of freedom and the deep flaws in our justice system. Slepian’s investigation begins in 2002, when he receives a tip about two men in prison for a 1990 murder they didn’t commit. The disclosure leads Slepian on a decades-long search for the truth that results not only in the freedom of the two innocent men but of four more wrongfully imprisoned individuals. Slepian is a masterful writer, and his commitment to justice and accountability leaps off every page. Especially poignant is his friendship with Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez, one of the wrongfully imprisoned men at the center of the book.

For the book lover who enjoys an investigative deep dive…

Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Paul Pringle delivers a “master class in investigative journalism” (New York Times) in Bad City, which tells the story of how Pringle and his colleagues at the L.A. Times took on one of Los Angeles’s most influential institutions — and won. Pringle lays it all out in this electrifying exposé, chronicling how a tip about a drug scandal at USC exposed a citywide web of corruption, coverups, and criminality that threaded through the exclusive power centers of L.A. Detailed and fast-paced, Bad City will be a hit with the journalistic readers on your list, especially those who enjoyed Catch and Kill or Spotlight.

For the reader who appreciates a good cry…

In While You Were Out, award-winning journalist Meg Kissinger delivers a courageous “chronicle of love, loss, family, and obligation, all refracted through the lens of mental illness” (Lit Hub). Kissinger grew up in the 1960s Chicago suburbs. She was one of eight children in a boisterous family full of life and love. Behind closed doors, however, the Kissingers struggled. The author’s mother was hospitalized for anxiety and depression, her father was manic and prone to violent outbursts, while her siblings grappled with depression and bipolar disorder. Compounding their pain was an overwhelming culture of silence, leaving the Kissingers unsure of where to turn or even how to talk about their struggles. The author’s childhood experiences galvanized her career as a journalist — she would dedicate her life to exposing America’s flawed mental health care system and advocating for greater openness, accountability, and support. 

For the reader who enjoys a profound mother–daughter memoir…

The Manicurist’s Daughter is many things — a superb memoir about mother–daughter relationships, a poignant story about the immigrant experience, and a nuanced examination of body image, grief, and the shortcomings of the American Dream. After five failed attempts, Lieu’s family escaped Vietnam in the 1980s and established a new life in California, where her mother operated two successful nail salons. She was the family’s guiding light. But when Lieu was 11, her mother died after a botched cosmetic surgery. In the years that followed, Lieu wrestled with her grief alongside difficult questions that no one seemed willing to address: Who was her mother before she arrived in America? What could have compelled her to seek out cosmetic surgery? And how could the surgeon who performed the botched procedure still be operating after her mother’s death? Determined, Lieu set out to find answers about the surgeon, her mother, and ultimately herself.  

For the reader who enjoys a thrilling sports biography…

If your gift list includes basketball superfans and readers who love a great sports biography, then Magic is a slam dunk. Acclaimed biographer Roland Lazenby, author of Michael Jordan: The Life, expertly chronicles the life of superstar Earvin “Magic” Johnson. Johnson’s athletic prowess and dazzling charm revolutionized basketball and ushered in the Showtime era of the Los Angeles Lakers. Lazenby draws on hundreds of interviews with professional and personal insiders to paint the most comprehensive portrait to date of the legendary (and, at times, controversial) sports star in this game-changing basketball book. 

For the reader fascinated by lesser-known histories…

By all rights, everyone should know the name Thomas Smallwood. The 19th-century abolitionist and freedom fighter was a true American hero who named the Underground Railroad and lived a life as extraordinary as it was inspiring. And yet, Smallwood’s incredible story was nearly lost to time — until Flee North. Pulitzer Prize–winning author Scott Shane chronicles the larger-than-life historical figure for the first time in this remarkable narrative, detailing how Smallwood was born into slavery in the early 1800s, bought his freedom by the 1840s, and led hundreds of enslaved men and women out of bondage.

For the reader passionate about American history… 

In You Have to Be Prepared to Die Before You Can Begin to Live, Paul Kix delivers a riveting account of Project C, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s 10-week campaign in 1963 to end segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. Project C was crucial to the Civil Rights Movement in America. Kix brings this pivotal moment to vivid life, ushering readers behind the scenes and into the minds of the four legendary leaders at the heart of the campaign: Wyatt Walker, Fred Shuttlesworth, James Bevel, and Martin Luther King, Jr. In a world where the fight for equality is far from over, this story demands to be heard. 

For the book lover who watched the Royal Wedding live…

An instant New York Times bestseller, HRH is a smart, stylish read that doubles as the perfect book gift for the fashionistas on your list. Veteran style journalist Elizabeth Holmes offers an in-depth look at the style choices of Queen Elizabeth II, Diana, Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, and Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex. Alongside hundreds of sumptuous photographs, Holmes’s commentary offers dazzling insight into the fashion choices of each royal and delivers a style-focused retrospective of the British royal family from WWII to Meghan and Harry's exit from "The Firm."

For the feel-good sports fan…

On March 11, 2017, the Arlee Warriors brought home the high school basketball state championship title to Montana’s Flathead Indian Reservation. It was an electrifying moment for friends, family, and fans in the Flathead community; the championship season quickly became the stuff of legend, and the players transformed into local heroes. But what did the win mean to the players themselves? In the award-winning Brothers on Three, celebrated journalist Abe Streep follows star players Will Mesteth, Jr. and Phillip Malatare as they reckon with their victory. Many saw the emotionally charged championship season as a crowning achievement, but for the young players, it marked the beginning of their adult lives.

Honest and encouraging, Brothers on Three is a story of success on the basketball court. It’s also a moving account of community, growth, and growing up.

For social activist…

In The Viral Underclass, LGBTQ scholar Dr. Steven Thrasher presents an eye-opening examination of America’s broken healthcare system, revealing the outsized role privilege plays in how viruses spread, harm, and kill. Through harrowing accounts of suffering and survival during the COVID-19 era and the AIDS epidemic, Thrasher exposes the staggering disparities in medical access and care based on race, gender, class, and sexuality. The Viral Underclass makes an excellent book gift for anyone looking to better understand the inequities of our present moment and the role that social structures play in shaping the trajectory and impact of disease.

For the book lover who reads historical true crime…

In this Edgar Award–winning true crime narrative, author Elon Green examines the case of the Last Call Killer — a serial murderer who terrorized New York City’s queer community in the 1980s and ’90s. The Last Call Killer claimed multiple lives and evaded capture for years. Yet because of the sexuality of his victims, combined with the era’s soaring homicide rates and the growing AIDS epidemic, his crimes received little media coverage. Last Call is at once a haunting true crime narrative and a compassionate depiction of resilience in New York City’s queer community. It’s an excellent addition to any lit fan’s gift list, delivering a “captivating and thought-provoking read” that puts “a humanity-filled twist on the true crime genre” (Booklist).

For the book lover who volunteers for jury duty…

Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell was the first African American woman to sit on the Superior Court in Northern California. She’s seen the highs and lows of America’s criminal justice system, and in Her Honor, she offers an insider’s look at what goes on behind closed courtroom doors. Through eye-opening accounts of real-life cases, Cordell reveals the inner workings of the U.S. court system, highlighting its strengths and successes as well as its blind spots and shortcomings. While Cordell acknowledges that justice in America is far from perfect, she also looks forward with determination and offers concrete steps to create a more equitable system for all Americans. Candid, authentic, and ultimately optimistic, Her Honor is “an accessible peek into the halls of justice” (Publishers Weekly). Pick up the just-released trade paperback edition as a gift for the budding legal scholar on your list.

For those looking to recenter their lives…

The holiday season is a time of reflection and renewal, an occasion to reconnect with those you love and reset your priorities in pursuit of a more meaningful existence. Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus — better known as The Minimalists — are experts at the art of intentional living, and in Love People, Use Things they present an invaluable guide to purging your life of the unnecessary to make room for the things that really matter. This is not your typical decluttering how-to manual. Instead, Millburn and Nicodemus share their personal experiences — and those of others they’ve met along the way — to reveal how minimalistic living clears the way to healing the essential relationships in your life, from your relationship with the things you own to your capacity for love, creativity, and human connection. Love People, Use Things is a must-read book about minimalism that will motivate you and your loved ones to live with intention this holiday season and beyond — to get more out of life with less in the way.

For the memoir reader and music lover…

Acclaimed musician Mikel Jollett shares his story of childhood trauma, survival, and fierce familial love in his instant New York Times bestseller Hollywood Park. Jollett grew up in the Church of Synanon, one of the most notorious cults in America. At just six months old, he was forcibly separated from his parents and sent to be raised in the cult’s so-called “School.” Though it took years, Jollett, his older brother, and his mother eventually escaped the cult — only to face a fresh wave of hardships from life on the outside. Jollett bravely chronicles the adversity that he and his family endured, from physical and emotional abuse to struggles with addiction, and the hard-won triumphs of his adult years as a writer and the lead singer of The Airborne Toxic Event in what The Wall Street Journal calls “a memoir that is dangerous, immediate and lyrical from the jump.”

For those looking to become a more effective leader…

Mike Hayes knows how to lead under pressure. As the former commander of SEAL Team Two, he’s made countless life-or-death decisions; as a former White House fellow and the director of Defense Policy and Strategy at the National Security Council, he’s negotiated international arms treaties and guided high-stakes meetings in the White House Situation Room. In Never Enough, Hayes shares his key strategies for being an effective leader, offering valuable life lessons that are just as applicable on the battlefield as in the boardroom. Enhanced with dramatic accounts of guts and grit from the author’s career, Never Enough is an insightful leadership book for readers from all walks of life and an inspirational gift for anyone looking to enter the new year with renewed determination and focus.