Best Books to Give as Gifts This Holiday Season

From sports-themed books to inspirational titles, to cookbooks, coffee-table must-haves and even coloring books, we've picked out the best books for everyone on your list this holiday season.

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Nov 20, 2017

Best Books to Give as Gifts This Holiday Season

Ali: A Life

A comprehensive and definitive biography of Muhammad Ali just released this year, this book compiles information from more than 500 interviews with those who knew him best and uncovers new stories and tidbits about his life and career.

Buy it: Amazon, $20.40

Run Fast. Eat Slow.: Nourishing Recipes for Athletes

2017 New York City Marathon champion and four-time Olympian Shalane Flanagan joined forces with chef Elyse Kopecky to create this New York Times bestseller cookbook that shows readers how food can be both healthy and nourishing, while still indulgent and delicious. Flanagan may be a world-class marathoner, but this book is not only for runners.

Buy it: Amazon, $14.99

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike

A New York Times bestseller, this memoir by the founder of Nike is a must-read for everyone on your list. Knight shares the inside story of the company’s early days as a start-up and how it evolved into one of the world’s most iconic brands.

Buy it: Amazon, $20.74

What Made Maddy Run: The Secret Struggles and Tragic Death of an All-American Teen

A touching title from ESPN commentator and journalist Kate Fagan about the heartbreaking story of college athlete Madison Holleran, a 19-year-old student at the University of Pennsylvania who seemed to have a picture-perfect life but committed suicide in 2014. The book addresses the struggle of young people suffering from mental illness and how social media can easily hide those struggles.

Buy it: Amazon, $18.36

Sports Illustrated Football's Greatest: Revised and Updated

SI's team of experts answer once again tackle the questions pro football fans have been debating since the pigskin started flying. Who's the greatest quarterback of all time? The most dominant linebackers? For the ultimate football fan in your life, this is the gift to give—and the one that's bound to spark some debate at halftime.

Buy it: Amazon, $22.48

Hockey: Then to WOW!

From the editors of Sports Illustrated Kids, this book show readers how the sport of hockey has evolved and transformed from its 19th century origins to the game as it is today in 2017 using NHL action photographs, illustrations, stories and trivia.

Buy it: Amazon, $13.59

The Cubs Way: The Zen of Building the Best Team in Baseball and Breaking the Curse

How did the Chicago Cubs break the longest championship drought in sports? Sports Illustrated senior baseball writer and FOX Sports analyst Tom Verducci goes inside the personalities, minds and moments behind the most dramatic World Series victory ever.

Buy it: Amazon, $19.04

One Year Wiser: 365 Illustrated Meditations

Keep your friend or loved one inspired for an entire year with a guidebook to daily meditation, featuring words of wisdom from thinkers such as Buddha, Dalai Lama, Virginia Woolf, Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln, Anne Frank, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Marcus Aurelius and more. Each heartening meditation is accompanied by a Japanese- and Chinese-influenced drawing.

Buy it: Amazon, $19.85

The Kaufmann Mercantile Guide: How to Split Wood, Shuck an Oyster, and Master Other Simple Pleasures

This book will empower anyone to take on a do-it-yourself project, as it includes step-by-step guide on everything from cleaning cast iron pans to brewing the perfect cup of coffee to repairing a flat bicycle tire. There are how-to’s for kitchen, outdoor, home, gardening, and grooming projects and tasks, meaning your recipient will feel grateful for your gift the next time a dilemma strikes.

Buy it: Amazon, $16.73

100 Photographs: The Most Influential Images of All Time

Our friends at TIME are celebrating the 175th anniversary of photography with this collection of editor’s favorite photos from the magazine’s history. These shots illustrate some of the most significant, influential and historical moments in the world. This book is guaranteed to be a conversation starter and timeless piece on any coffee table.

Buy it: TIME, $25

The United States of Pizza

This is for anyone who loves pizza—and who doesn’t love pizza? The authors have searched the nation for America’s favorite pizzas, from thin crusts to deep-dish, sourdough and gluten-free, and the findings are collected in this book—with recipes! It also includes pizza dough diagrams and information for every pizzeria included in the book.

Buy it: Amazon, $14.99

Psychobook: Games, Tests, Questionnaires, Histories

A unique gift that’s perfect for a coffee table or the friend who is curious about everything. This book contains a collection of psychological testing, from word-association games to inkblots to personality tests. Try them out at home or at the next get-together.

Buy it: Amazon, $22

Andy Warhol Coloring Book

Coloring books are still all the rage and this 32-page book—with perforated pages—features iconic pop artist Andy Warhol’s greatest hits, so any artist can create their own Campbell’s Soup Cans, Marilyn Monroe or the banana made famous by The Velvet Underground & Nico album cover.

Buy it: Amazon, $9.99

The TB12 Method: How to Achieve a Lifetime of Sustained Peak Performance

The TB12 Method book promises to be an “athlete’s bible” with practical information about Tom Brady’s revolutionary approach to staying in peak shape at the age of 40. While some of the recipes may be strange and concepts far-fetched for the everyday person, the book still provides useful information and a step-by-step guide to living life like Tom.

Buy it: Amazon, $19.49

The Football Fanbook: Everything You Need to Become a Gridiron Know-it-All

Cover Hi-Football Fanbook_Final.jpg — Courtesy of Amazon

For young football fans looking to become a gridiron know-it-all, this is the perfect gift. Using fun trivia, unique lingo and more, Sports Illustrated Kids helps readers take their passion for the game to the next level.

Buy it: Amazon, $15.99

High Performance Habits: How Extraordinary People Become That Way

Using a science-backed method, this book details the six habits that will help you achieve success and be extraordinary, no matter your age, career or personality. Released in Sept. 2017, it is one of Amazon's most sold titles.

Buy it: Amazon, $16.19

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life

A New York Times bestseller with more than one million copies sold, Mark Manson's self-help guide gets real about staying positive and gives a refreshing outlook how to become happier in life, without sugarcoating things. "Let’s be honest, shit is f***ed and we have to live with it," he says.

Buy it: Amazon, $14.99

Origin: A Novel

Written by Dan Brown, the author of the Da Vinci Code, Origin: A Novel is set to be one of the best-selling books of the holiday season. Professor Robert Langdon returns for another thrilling adventure, this time in Spain.

Buy it: Amazon, $17.96

Uncommon Type: Some Stories

Thought two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks was just a talented actor? Hanks shows he has chops as a writer in his first collection of short stories.

Buy it: Amazon, $16.17

My First Book of Soccer: A Rookie Book

Cover Hi-My First Book of Soccer_Final.jpg — Courtesy of Amazon

The fourth book in the fan-favorite Rookie Book series, Sports Illustrated Kids explains the most popular sport in the world to its youngest fans, from how the clock counts "up" and never stops, to what an offside means and more.

Buy it: Amazon, $10.06