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Books for Coworkers

A book for a coworker should be easy to like, so these eight keep politics and graphic content to a minimum. They run from work-minded nonfiction to funny novels, and suit a Secret Santa or an office swap.

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  • Atomic Habits

    James Clear

    James Clear explains how small daily changes add up, and how to build good habits or break bad ones. Practical, readable and relevant to almost any job.

  • Steal Like an Artist

    Austin Kleon

    Austin Kleon's short, illustrated book of ten pieces of advice about creative work. Quick to read, and a fit for anyone who writes, designs or builds things.

  • Hidden Figures

    Margot Lee Shetterly

    The true story of the Black women mathematicians who worked as human computers at NASA. Inspiring, well reported and a good fit for almost any workplace.

  • Legends & Lattes

    Travis Baldree

    An orc warrior retires from adventuring to open the first coffee shop in a fantasy city. Cozy and gentle, and fine for readers who do not usually pick up fantasy.

  • Anxious People

    Fredrik Backman

    A failed bank robber ends up holding an apartment viewing hostage, and the people inside slowly open up. Funny and warm, with a serious side.

  • The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

    Douglas Adams

    Arthur Dent is swept off Earth just before it is destroyed, in the company of a friend who turns out to be an alien. Silly, quotable and a quick read.

  • The Rosie Project

    Graeme Simsion

    A genetics professor who is awkward with people sets out to find a wife by questionnaire and meets Rosie. A light, funny romance for a friendlier coworker.

  • The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse

    Charlie Mackesy

    A gentle, illustrated book of kind words from four friends. With a few lines a page, it is a safe pick for a swap where you cannot know their taste.

How to choose

Choose by how well you know them. For a colleague you barely know, a work-minded book such as Atomic Habits, Steal Like an Artist or Hidden Figures is hard to get wrong. For a friendlier coworker, go for funny fiction: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Rosie Project or Anxious People. Legends & Lattes suits cozy readers, and The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse works for nearly anyone. Wrap the book and add a short handwritten note, which turns a safe gift into a thoughtful one.

Look at the themes first. Anxious People has a suicide-related premise and a hostage situation, and Hidden Figures covers segregation and racism.

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