Books for Every Dad: A Father’s Day Reading List

This compilation of timeless wisdom is here to give Dad a daily dose of Socrates, Marcus Aurelius, and many more. These are some of the wisest thinkers to have ever lived, giving you the most important meal of the day — knowledge.

A must-have gift for current parents and soon-to-be Dads, Ryan Holiday channels the philosophers of old to help usher in the new generations. Meditations on parenting for each day of the year, this is a book that keeps on giving. 

The latest from the modern stoic gives Dad the gift of a reminder: it’s always the right time to do the right thing (even when it feels impossible). 

Part travelogue and part memoir, Dad will fawn over the hilarious tirades, star-studded anecdotes (especially if he’s a fan of Jeff Tweedy), and epic call to the great outdoors from Mr. Parks and Rec himself. 

Maybe your dad has hiked hundreds of miles through scorching winds and blistering deserts — or maybe he’s still warming to the idea. In either case, this funny and touching memoir about two friends in for the trek of their life will inspire him to get outside. 

Does your dad swear against anything to do with the supernatural or astrology but love the classic tales of American cryptids? Then this deep dive into the hunt for Sasquatch and our country’s collective fascination with the elusive creature is the perfect gift. 

We know dads love a good sense of humor, and Tom Segura has one of the best. From crushing stand-up to making us double over in laughter from his podcast and so much more, this collection of essays is a hoot. 

After getting dumped and moving in with his dad, Justin Halpern began live-tweeting the ridiculous comments and quips his dad spewed throughout the day — going viral and finding that the world needed more of his dad’s unique humor in book form. Flip through this one with your dad and give him the gift of knowing he’s one of the normal ones (more or less).

It’s a universal rule that one must be able to poke fun at their dad every once in a while — and this book is full of all the good stuff. Fun, quippy, illustrated and perfect for any dad.

One for the dads who love to experiment in the kitchen, with recipes from “Animal-Style Mac ‘n’ Cheese” to “Garlic Bread McMuffins” and a “Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Chicken Sandwich”, this cookbook goes above and beyond the traditional conventions of cooking.

If your dad loves to spend time outside grilling any and every kind of meat he can find, this is the cookbook for him. With tips and tricks on cooking everything from burgers to lobster (and a fun recipe on coal roasted bananas) Dad will want to fire up the grill as soon as he opens this one up. 

A collection of recipes that doubles as a gift for outdoorsy dads and cooking dads, Old Time Hawkey combines the joy of campfires and cooking outdoors with a retro aesthetic that will make Dad nostalgic for the good old days. 

Get ready for Dad to try and impress you with the facts and trivia he learns from this one. History comes to life in The Demon of Unrest where the events that led up to the Civil War are poked, prodded and studied — and resemble an all-too familiar political landscape. 

Ready yourself for a winding tangent on exactly where your dad was when the Challenger disaster happened — we all remember it clearly. Author and historian Adam Higginbotham takes us through the events of that tragic day in meticulous and captivating detail.

We know you’ve read this one already — but has Dad picked it up? The bestselling book from our 2023 Author of the Year will keep your dad glued to its pages until the wee hours of the morning, imagining himself aboard a ship on the high seas.

Your dad was mesmerized by the Academy Award Winning movie Oppenheimer when he saw it in theaters (once, twice — okay, three times) but has he read the book? The inspiration behind the blockbuster film is a dazzling feat of biography, history, science and politics — and will make Dad want to watch the movie all over again. 

A swash-buckling true story about a controversial man and the voyages that cemented his name in history. Dad will get a kick out of the real story of Captain James Cook and the mysteries surrounding his fated final days. 

An incisive look into two brilliant people in American civil rights history, the story of Medgar and Myrlie Evers should be widely known and appreciated. If your dad is looking to read about unsung figures in our country’s history, he’ll tear through this biography. 

A multifaceted look at perhaps the most famous police dog out there, A Dog Named Mattis is both a spiritual exploration of God’s lessons, and a detailed look at the life of a police dog and his human partner.

Duck Dynasty kingpin Phil Robertson is here to remind you that when earthly answers aren’t enough, look to Jesus. With his familiar, fervent voice and accompanying humor, Robertson is always good for entertainment and internal excavation alike.

Mega-church pastor Steven Furtick is here with six actionable mantras meant to fortify your resolve to be more in sync with God. All in the name of making you exactly who God meant you to be.

Whether he’s a history buff or is always spitting quick quips on day-to-day life advice, Eric Weiner employs a founding father’s methods of living to Ben & Me to ask readers: what would Benjamin Franklin do?

Another great one for dads always looking to the past to get ahead in life, A.J. Jacobs takes readers on a rollicking ride through the constitution, giving us the best (and most concerning) life advice from the document our country was founded on. 

Has Dad ever wondered aloud about the secrets to living a long and happy life? He’s never too old to heed advice from a neighbor; The Book of Charlie paints a portrait of one man’s seemingly unassuming neighbor who lived an extraordinary life.