We have something for every type of dad on this list.
What does a dad really need? Sometimes, perhaps, just to be left alone! Some sleep! A round of golf! But many dads have everything they need thanks to all the love in their families. Still, it’s nice to give them a little something to honor their special day. This Father’s Day, treat the dad in your life — whether it’s your father, grandfather, brother, son, stepdad, or friend — to a little something special with one of these books picked just for him. Nothing makes a parent feel better than simply being seen. And for those mourning the loss of their dad, there’s something in here for them, too.
Best Father’s Day Books for Dads of All Types
For the philosopher
Scott Hershovitz, Nasty, Brutish and Short: Adventures in Philosophy with Kids
Perhaps kids do have all the answers. Scott Hershovitz decided to really listen to his two young sons, Rex and Hank, and realized their conversations touched on some of the most profound philosophical issues of all time.
For the debater — or the one struggling to communicate better
Bo Seo, Good Arguments: How Debate Teaches Us to Listen and Be Heard
Two-time world champion debater and a former coach of the Australian debating team and the Harvard College Debating Union shares his hard-won lessons in this memoir. Bo Seo even shares how to apply them to everyday relationships and communication in a thought-provoking way to help everyone.
For the storyteller
James Patterson, James Patterson: The Stories of My Life
Who doesn’t love James Patterson? Ubiquitous, generous, hardworking, and really funny, Patterson wasn’t always a New York Times bestselling author. Learn about the before, during, and after of his success; hear about his family; and be inspired by his achievements. Above all, get to know this literary legend in his own clever way.
For the new dad
Amy Hatkoff, Shaped by Love: The Extraordinary Impact of Nurturing
Congratulate any new dad in your life with this photographic testament to the power of fatherhood. The delicious babies pictured teach parents about separation anxiety, communication, sleep, and other key parts of early parenting. But this beautiful book also tells it from the child’s point of view to make even the most bleary-eyed parent blink an eye of recognition.
For the dad-to-be
Taylor Calmus, A Dude’s Guide to Baby Size: What to Expect and How to Prep, For Dads-to-Be
How big is your baby now? Women get “fed” comparisons like a grape, a grapefruit, a melon. In this irreverent guide to being a dad and watching your embryo grow, Taylor Calmus compares it to things like a pound of hamburger meat, a bike helmet, and a baseball. He offers a beer can’s worth of advice, reams of toilet paper, and a funny-yet-helpful preparation guide for the guys.
For the business guru
Venture pioneer Alan Patricof shines a light on the dawn of the VC world and shares his unparalleled investing experience in companies like Apple, New York Magazine, AOL, Audible, and others.
For the golfer
Rick Reilly, So Help Me Golf: Why We Love the Game
New York Times bestselling author of Who’s Your Caddy? brings his keen observation prowess and sense of humor to the often frustrating yet addictive game of golf. He highlights traditions and key moments in the sport while drawing the reader in with stories about famous pros. Any golfer will want to pull up a chair in the clubhouse to listen to Rick Reilly.
For the literary dad
Keith Gessen, Raising Raffi: The First Five Years
A lyrical look at life with the under-five set, Raising Raffi by The New York Times and New Yorker contributor Keith Gessen is an incisive examination of parenthood — and childhood — written by one of the literary world’s finest.
For the wannabe chef
Kendra Adachi, The Lazy Genius Kitchen
Everyone needs a framework. Especially a frazzled parent. Enter “The Lazy Genius” Kendra Adachi, whose bestselling book and podcast help many stressed-out people every day. The advice is relatively simple: Prioritize, personalize, essentialize, systematize, and organize. And yet the telling is earth-shaking. The page on “how to make food that tastes good” is worth dog-earring!
Listen to my podcast with Kendra Adachi.
For the healthcare fanatic
Michael Lewis, The Premonition: A Pandemic Story
Could the pandemic have been avoided? Bestselling author and overall guru Michael Lewis highlights the lives of everyone from a seventh-grader to a local California health inspector to show how unprepared the U.S. was for the pandemic and how the powers-that-be didn’t heed the warning calls when it should have. (The audio version, a Pushkin audio production, is absolutely worth listening to.)
Listen to my podcast with Michael Lewis.
For the academic
David Damrosch, Around the World in 80 Books
Revered scholar David Damrosch turns his intellectual eye to books across communities as he takes readers on a voyage around the world as depicted in famous works of literature.
For the one who isn’t afraid to show his feelings
Daniel Black, Don’t Cry For Me
A dying father tells his son the stories he could never utter during his life in this heartbreaking, moving tale illustrating the bonds of one Black man, his gay son, and the losses and loves that bound them together.
For the history buff
John Avlon, Lincoln and the Fight for Peace
Abe Lincoln had a plan for peace after the Civil War. Starting with a two-week trip to the front lines, Lincoln met with Americans of all types from liberated slaves to wounded soldiers on both sides. How he ended the war, told as never before in John Avlon’s brilliant prose, will keep even the most well-versed Civil War historians flipping pages.
For the one who wants to laugh out loud
Gary Janetti, Start Without Me (I’ll Be There in a Minute)
TV writer Gary Janetti, also of Instagram fame and bestselling author of Do You Mind if I Cancel?, paints a picture of himself as a closeted gay child: Subterranean in his family’s home in Queens watching 12 hours of TV daily, not fitting in anywhere except with random older couples who shouldn’t have even wanted to be with him. That penchant ended up helping him achieve phenomenal success in the screen world. His sense of humor and ability to elicit laughter in just a few words makes this quick, poignant read a true joy.
Listen to my podcast with Gary Janetti coming out this week on my podcast.
For the one coping with loss
Rebecca Soffer, The Modern Loss Handbook
After the past two years of the pandemic, everyone seems to be reeling from loss. Father’s Day can be a trigger for those who have lost their dads or men who meant something to them. This helpful, user-friendly guidebook by the founder of ModernLoss.com is an important book this Father’s Day. Honor someone who might be hurting this holiday by sending them this book with a quick note that says, “Thinking of you today.” It’ll help more than you know.
Listen to my podcast with Rebecca Soffer.
