Excellent Giftable Nonfiction Books

My spouse has a history degree and a love of lesser-known historical facts. He’s also a huge fan of adventure. So when I gave him this book about a pirate that changes the course of history, it was a hit! In the 17th century, Henry Every was one of the world’s most notorious pirates. When he attacks an Indian treasure ship, he thinks he’s made a lucrative acquisition. Johnson, however, argues that this one event changes the course of the global economy. This lesser-known story will have you saying “did you know” to your pirate story loving friends.

If you’ve subscribed to this newsletter for any length of time, you’ve probably already heard me gush about how much I love this cookbook. Not only did it arrive in my life when I was going through a rough time and needed a pick-me-up, but it also has an audiobook, making it accessible to me, which is rare for cookbooks. Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat is fantastic because it isn’t just a tome of recipes; it teaches readers HOW to cook. After I had read it, I gave it to every family member and friend with even the slightest interest in cooking. I used to buy it in batches because I knew I would go through them that fast.

As a kid growing up, I spent hours reading through books about animals, learning about their habitats, life cycles, and origins. As an adult, I still crave learning new, fun facts about the natural world. Enter World of Wonders, the perfect combination of animal knowledge and personal essays. Nezhukumatathil describes how her parents taught her a love of nature, but as an Indian immigrant, she didn’t see many people like her on nature trails. From the anecdotes of Nezhukumatathil’s life to the cute illustrations by artist Fumi Nakamura, World of Wonders is the perfect package.