41 Most Giftable Coffee-Table Books

The yeehaw agenda endures. This coffee-table book celebrates modern-day Black cowboys by documenting the annual Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo. Author and photographer Gabriela Hasbun has been photographing the event for over a decade and captures both the intimacy of the community and the spectacle that surrounds it. There are photos of stunts alongside one of a hand brushing a horse, for instance, highlighting the duality of the rodeo. The book also includes stories and conversations Hasbun has had over the years, which really brings it to life. —Tembe Denton-Hurst

Africa’s thriving, vibrant surf culture is captured in this book — compiled by South African surf company Mami Wata. The book covers 18 different coastal countries and is made up of stunning, full-bleed images, essays from some of Africa’s most prolific thinkers and writers, and profiles of some of the continent’s most talented surfers and skaters. The book also does good: 100 percent of the proceeds from it go toward two African surf-therapy organizations. —T.D.H.

It’s estimated that six out of ten Black Panther Party members were women — this book tells their story. With a foreword by Angela Davis and images that document the group at its height, this book would make a great gift for anyone who wants to learn more about the time period or gain a different perspective on one of the most impactful social movements of our time. —T.D.H.

Between 1997 and 2002, photographer Justine Kurland took pictures of teenage girls traipsing through the American frontier — braiding each other’s hair and swimming in sunny waterholes — transforming a place that’s often been associated with cowboys, outlaws, and masculinity into a distinctly feminine one.Girl Picturesis the result of the project, which contains all of the photos from the original exhibition along with unreleased images. —T.D.H.

Acclaimed author and performer Patti Smith posted her first Instagram picture in 2018 — a simple, straightforward “Hello everybody!” Today, Smith’s account has blossomed into a rich tapestry exhibiting her singular vision, including photos of her kids, her home, and her beloved cat, Cairo.A Book of Daysoffers even more insight into Smith’s documentary process, with over 365 photographs chronicling one year in her life; it also includes vintage snapshots pulled from long-ago archives and cheeky commentary from the artist herself, making it the perfect gift for any Smith superfan. —Kitty Guo

Bronx collective Ghetto Gastro’s first cookbook is, like the collective, multifaceted. It contains a mix of photography, interviews, and — of course — recipes. There are 75 of them, most of which are plant-based and draw inspiration from the Bronx and the wider diaspora. Every recipe comes with an immersive story, bringing you closer to the intent behind the dish. Coco Loco, Ghetto Gastro’s take on summertime staple coconut ice cream, is cast as a childhood fixture, and the Black Power Waffle is offered as an homage to Kwame Ture, who grew up in the Bronx. —T.D.H.

We’re in the midst of a tinned-fish renaissance (though true devotees will say people are late to the party), with brands like Fishwife making it cool to eat shelf-stable proteins. This cookbook offers a variety of ways to make the most of it, from sandwiches to salads to schmears.

Ottolenghi co-founder Sami Tamimi’s first cookbook celebrates his Palestinian heritage with colorful and simple vegetable-forward dishes, like smoky chickpeas with cilantro tahini and fried halloumi with purslane salad. This is a cookbook designed for virtually every mealtime scenario — from weeknight dinners to hosting to dessert; there’s a labneh and pomegranate ice cream I’d like to indulge in on a hot August day.

Chef and co-founder of Caribbean social club Island Social Club Marie Mitchell’s debut cookbook,Kin,celebrates Caribbean cuisine and its many influences — from Africa to South Asia to Latin America. It offers modern takes on classics like saltfish fritters and rum punch along with sweets like ginger cake and coconut buns. It’s also well designed and thoughtfully photographed (many images were shot in the Caribbean) and would look nice perched on a kitchen shelf.

From the founder of Brooklyn staple Bonnie’s, Calvin Eng, comesSalt, Sugar, MSG,which blends Cantonese and American flavors and includes personal essays about Eng’s upbringing and connection to food. These are meals meant for nights at home, inspired by the dishes his mom, Bonnie, made growing up and the dishes he currently makes for his own family. There are classics like steamed fish with soy sauce and ginger congee and recipes Eng has invented, like salt and pepper pork schnitzel and buttery oyster sauce noodles — things he cooks with his family now.

Who among us didn’t pick up baking during the early days of the pandemic? And while most of us didn’t stick with it long enough to publish a cookbook of inventive Filipino desserts, that’s exactly whathappened for baker Abi Balingit. Many of her recipes, like adobo chocolate chip cookies, put a spin on quintessential American baked goods, but there are traditional Filipino desserts to test out too. Similar toBlack Power Kitchen, the recipes are accompanied by anecdotes about how Balingit discovered the spices and flavors she infuses into her bakes. —T.D.H.

What’s the deal withSeinfeldfood? This collection of recipes inspired by the iconic, food-centric “show about nothing” has the distinction of being the first officialSeinfeldcookbook, perfect for the ’90s TV partisan who hosts a lot of dinner parties. It includes Festivus meatloaf, Elaine’s big salad, black-and-white cookies, and, of course, an entire section ofsouprecipes. —Erin Schwartz

To paraphrase Carl Sagan, if you wish to make a taco from scratch, you must first invent the universe. The next step would be getting familiar with the tortilla’s foundational ingredient, masa. This delectably designed photographic recipe collection dedicated to all things corn flour emphasizes both tradition and cutting-edge technique, whether you’re cooking up arepas, pupusas, or even gnocchi. Author Jorge Gaviria (whose company, Masienda, sources heirloom corn from small farms in Mexico) predicts that this humble but ubiquitous ingredient is “the new sourdough,” and his book makes a compelling case. —Katherine Gillespie

Our colleagues over at Grub Street have described Via Carota as one of theabsolute best Italian restaurants in New York, and if you haven’t had the opportunity to walk in to James Beard Award–winning chefs Jody Williams and Rita Sodi’s Greenwich Village gem, you can now make their traditional-ish Italian dishes at home. That includes potato gnocchi, lasagna cacio e pepe, and their cultish — and voluminous — insalata verde, which is so good they recommend that you eat it with your hands. —M.B.

The Grateful Dead played well over 2,000 shows between their creation in San Francisco in 1965 and Jerry Garcia’s death in 1995, and most of them were taped by audience members. That deep live catalogue of tapes, both bootlegged and official, is why the Dead is more than just a “band,” and this book is a celebration of the Dead Heads who spent years fanatically recording, collecting, and sharing them. Author Mark A. Rodriguez, a sculptor whose work often features thousands of Dead show recordings, highlights collectors with in-depth interviews and shares hundreds of archival cassette covers. —Maxine Builder

In his first book of new writing since 2004’sChronicles: Volume One,reluctant Nobel Prize winnerBob Dylan analyzes a range of pop musical forms — from bluegrass to heavy metal — and songs by other artists, including Elvis Costello, Hank Williams, Little Richard, and Nina Simone. The book also includes over 150 photographs and short sections of text that “taken together, resemble an epic poem.” —E.S.

This book is an homage to a specific design format: the seven-inch sleeve covers of punk singles, including releases by the Sex Pistols, the Stooges, the Ramones, the Clash, and the Talking Heads. It’s edited by music journalist Jon Savage and Soul Jazz Records founder Stuart Baker, and in addition to hundreds of photographs, it features text and interviews with a range of punk luminaries. —E.S.

For the audiophile in your life, here’s a comprehensive and visually stunning history of turntables and vinyl technology from the 1950s to today. With hundreds of illustrations and words by Gideon Schwartz, an audio-design expert who’s created home music systems for Rick Rubin and other high-profile folks, the book is essential for both seasoned collectors and anyone new to the vinyl-revival movement. —A.A.

Dancehall posters have a unique style that has evolved over decades. This book chronicles the change starting in the 1970s and pulls from private collections across the globe. Part artwork, part record of a vibrant party scene — this offers a rare look into a reggae subculture that continues to influence music today.

African art has only continued to grow in popularity and impact over the years, as has the number of coffee-table books dedicated to detailing its most important figures. Last year we spotlightedAfrican Artistsand this yearAfrican Art Now, which offers a closer look at 50 of the most prolific and impactful artists working today. The author, Osei Bonsu, profiles each artist, offering a closer look at their processes and stories. It includes a mix of established figures — like Tunji Adeniyi-Jones — along with up-and-coming artists. It’s an ideal gift for the art buff in your life or the person who wants to become one. —T.D.H.

In her latest exhibition, visual artist Nina Chanel Abney, whose work has appeared on everything from UNO cards to album covers, asks questions about the expansiveness of gender, specifically as it pertains to Black masculine-of-center women. Abney does this through references to Black Greek life and popular comedies likeNational Lampoon’s Animal House.

Lorna Simpson is primarily known as a photographer, butLorna Simpson: Source Notesoffers a look at her paintings. It is the first to chronicle this part of her practice, which has emerged over the past decade. Simpson continues to explore the same themes of gender, race, and history that have always interested her, but in a new medium using found imagery from iconic magazines likeJetandEbonyto interrogate ideas of representation, memory, and time.

Ruth Asawa is best known for her abstract hanging sculptures made of intricately looped wire. But this book, produced as a document of the exhibition “Ruth Asawa: All Is Possible” at David Zwirner gallery in 2021, gives the reader an all-encompassing view of the artist for whom daily life and the creative process overlapped constantly. Rarely seen works — including ceramic casts of the faces of Asawa’s friends, neighbors, and family; the carved redwood door to her San Francisco home; and drawings of her children and grandchildren sleeping — accompany feature texts and photographs from Asawa’s life. —L.C.

Who wouldn’t want to read a graphic novel tracing the life of long underappreciated Swedish pioneer of abstract painting Hilma Af Klint? Since her groundbreaking posthumous exhibition at the Guggenheim in 2019, Af Klint has had a mystical hero status, leaving viewers curious as to who she was and where she came from. With references to a new biography of Af Klint by Julia Voss, artist Philipp Deines spins a brightly colored five-chapter tale of Af Klint’s life through her friends and family, her journey to become an artist, and her relationship with the spiritual realm. —L.C.

As LEGO art gets increasinglyelegant,lavish, andambitious, it’s a good time to return to basics with a book dedicated to the brand’s classic cylinder-headed, trapezoid-bodied, half-pipe-handed yellow minifigure. Written byWirednews editor Brian Barrett, the book tracks the 40-year history of the toy and includes “never-before-seen visuals from inside the LEGO archives,” perfect for obsessive LEGO builders to pore over. —E.S.

Social-justice Instagram graphics are much maligned at this point, but there’s actually a long history of bold typeface and lettering being used for effective activism. In fact, this book makes it clear that graphic design has been essential to resistance movements for more than 150 years. As you’d expect, the layouts are stunning, celebrating the impact of early abolitionist broadsides, counter-cultural ’60s protest signs, and ’80s Guerrilla Girl screenprints in vivid color. But a series of critical essays and interviews also offers plenty of substance. —K.G.

Chicago-born painter, sculptor, and designer Hebru Brantley’s work is inflected with echoes of fine art, street art, fashion, and hip-hop in a testament to the artist’s cultural omnivorousness. Split into two parts,Hebru Brantleyexplores the breadth and diversity of his work; it features both his paintings — you may recognize his joyful depictions of Black kids in superhero garb — as well as his collaborations with streetwear giants such as A Bathing Ape, Billionaire Boys Club, Adidas, and more. This is the first monograph of Brantley’s work but likely won’t be the last. —K.G.

During the pandemic, Maira Kalman started painting images of women holding things — a cake, balloons, the weight of the world, a daughter. They were initially published in a booklet in 2021 as part of a fundraiser in support of charities combating hunger, but Kalman and her son Alex have since expanded it to a full book with 86 paintings, which Kalmanherselfdescribes as a “love song to women, and at times everyone (as exhausted as we all are from holding everything).” —M.B.

Whether you’re a bit of a hypochondriac or a fan of the body and its functions, Nicole Angemi’s anatomy book is a treasure trove of information and compelling vintage artwork. The guide includes descriptions of the various conditions that can affect the body (from anus to zygomatic bone) along with images so you can compare it to your own ailments — real or imagined.—T.D.H.

Aphrochicis something like a BlackMTV Cribs— offering a peek into the homes of actors, musicians, artists, curators, entrepreneurs, and executives. It’s a celebration of Black homeownership and also Black design, showcasing the condos, houses, townhomes, and studios of notable figures like author Jason Reynolds, actor Danielle Brooks, and chef Alexander Smalls. —T.D.H.

If you’ve ever sat on a jewel-toned velvet chair, you’ve felt the influence of Drake/Anderson. Jamie Drake and Caleb Anderson’s New York–based interior-design firm is among the industry’s most celebrated and influential, and their polished aesthetic earns commissions from discerning Park Avenue types. Here we get detailed visual tours of 11 residences that represent the duo’s best work, featuring crystal-rod chandeliers, polished marble countertops, and curvy custom sofas. —K.G.

If you spend much of your downtime scrolling through listings on Zillow, consider this more analog option of manifesting the future manse of your dreams. This book is a monograph of architect Thomas Kligerman’s work. He’s best known for blending aesthetics, mixing European and English architecture with Southwest and East Coast architecture (think: pueblos and shingles). With over 200 images, the book showcases 13 of Kligerman’s favorite projects alongside renderings and sketches that display how his homes go from blueprint to real life. —T.D.H.

After Hurricane Andrew swept through Miami Beach in 1992, destroying a handful of lifeguard towers, the city commissioned an architecture firm to design new, more interesting structures — and over the last 30 years, these candy-colored lifeguard towers have become a landmark of Miami Beach unto themselves. They caught the attention of New York City–based photographer Tommy Kwok in 2019 when he first came upon and photographed the pink tower on 17th Street (which is featured on the cover). Over the next few years, he photographed all 38 lifeguard towers across the 8.5-mile stretch of sand, and the resulting catalog, which was backed on Kickstarter, allows you to appreciate and compare each one without a single person in sight. —M.B.

Casting director Jennifer Venditti — whose portfolio includesEuphoria,Uncut Gems,andThe Rehearsal— often begins her process by approaching strangers with the opening line, “Can I ask you a question?” This book, published by A24, includes a trove of Venditti’s early casting photos, including shots of stars like Julia Fox and Hunter Schafer. There are also contributions from collaborators, including director Josh Safdie and photographer Alec Soth. —E.S.

Photographer Carell Augustus has been puttingBlack Hollywoodtogether for over a decade. The book features the who’s who of Black Hollywood and casts them in classic roles: Vanessa Williams asCleopatra, Adina Porter as Barbra Streisand, and Kel Mitchell as Forrest Gump. The foreword is written by Forest Whitaker, and there’s an afterword by Niecy Nash-Betts. And if that’s not enough name dropping,Queer Eye’s Karamo Brown is in there too. —T.D.H.