Great Books to Give to Your Adult Children

When our kids were little we read to them constantly, with the hope that they would learn to read early and ultimately develop a lifelong love of books. I am thankful our efforts were successful, and now when one of my boys tells me they are into a new book I love talking to them about it, whatever the topic. Below are some recommendations from my sons for the male college age and 20 somethings in your life!

Billion Dollar Loser by Reeves Weideman

The inside story of WeWork and its CEO, Adam Neumann, which tells the remarkable saga of one of the most audacious, and improbable, rises and falls in American business history.

Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain

A deliciously funny, delectably shocking banquet of wild-but-true tales of life in the culinary trade from Chef Anthony Bourdain, laying out his more than a quarter-century of drugs, sex, and haute cuisine—now with all-new, never-before-published material.

Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari

In Sapiens, Dr Yuval Noah Harari spans the whole of human history, from the very first humans to walk the earth to the radical – and sometimes devastating – breakthroughs of the Cognitive, Agricultural and Scientific Revolutions.  Bold, wide-ranging and provocative, Sapiens challenges everything we thought we knew about being human: our thoughts, our actions, our power … and our future. 

Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis

Scar Tissue is Red Hot Chili Pepper’s lyricist and lead singer Anthony Kiedis’ memoir; the story of dedication and debauchery, of intrigue and integrity, of recklessness and redemption–a story that could only have come out of the world of rock.

Outliers by Malcom Gladwell

In this stunning book, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual journey through the world of “outliers”–the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful. He asks the question: what makes high-achievers different? Brilliant and entertaining, Outliers is a landmark work that will simultaneously delight and illuminate. 

Principles by Ray Dalio

Ray Dalio, one of the world’s most successful investors and entrepreneurs, shares the unconventional principles that he’s developed, refined, and used over the past forty years to create unique results in both life and business—and which any person or organization can adopt to help achieve their goals.

The Martian by Andy Weir

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.  Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. 

Setting the Table by Danny Meyer

The bestselling business book from award-winning restauranteur Danny Meyer, of Union Square Cafe, Gramercy Tavern, and Shake Shack.

Shoe Dog by Phil Knight

In this candid and riveting memoir, for the first time ever, Nike founder and CEO Phil Knight shares the inside story of the company’s early days as an intrepid start-up and its evolution into one of the world’s most iconic, game-changing, and profitable brands.

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

An unflinching, powerful memoir about growing up Korean American, losing her mother, and forging her own identity.

Giving a gift certificate to your local bookstore is a nice way to encourage reading but allowing that special someone to choose something they have a personal interest in. In addition to the recommendations above, you can’t go wrong with Steven King, James Patterson and David Baldacci!

All blurbs picked up from Goodreads. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.