Awesome Books

The 2025 Edition of The Maker’s Field Guide nearly doubles the original’s content, diving deeper into areas like prototyping, injection molding, mass manufacturing, robotics, and startup know-how. Whether you’re building cosplay props or launching a product, this travel-friendly volume is packed with tools, tips, and insights for makers and DIYers at any skill level.

This incredible book is a 1,264-page tribute to one of the first and most important digital type foundries. Edited by Rudy VanderLans, it compiles nearly 40 years of inventive type specimens, design insights, and print ephemera from the trailblazing Emigre font studio. An essential addition to an design lover’s collection.

Whether you’re a vintage gear hunter, an analog enthusiast, or just film-curious, Film Camera Zen is your entry point into the world of classic photography. Written by Bellamy Hunt of Japan Camera Hunter, this guide demystifies cameras from Bronica to Zeiss, helping you choose, use, and appreciate timeless film cameras, their lenses, and accessories.

The best chefs know how to combine ingredients in brilliant and unexpected ways. The Art and Science of Foodpairing offers a systematic approach to pairing flavors and aromas to help create perfectly balanced dishes. With in-depth details on 150 key ingredients and roughly 10,000 food combinations, it’s a fantastic source for creative inspiration.

Want to fix a drink but don’t know what to make? Shane Carley’s book The Home Bartender offers recipes for more than 200 cocktails, all of which can be made with four ingredients or less. In addition to classics like Cosmos and Old Fashioneds, you’ll get lots of new and creative cocktail ideas.

The creators of the excellent The Art of Mixology focus on their favorite ways to incorporate bourbon and whiskey into cocktails. After learning the basics of shaking, stirring, layering, and muddling, you’ll find dozens of drink recipes, from timeless classics to unique modern drinks. Like gin, rum, or other spirits? Check out the complete book series.

Forty Ways to Know a Star breaks the cosmos into bite-sized chunks for easy digestion. Astrophysicist Jillian Scudder delivers 40 star-studded short essays with diagrams and NASA visuals. From the Milky Way to distant nebulae, it’s space science made fun. This 192-page guide is packed with fascinating facts for astro-newbs and astro-nerds alike.

UK Artist George Townley honors the city of Los Angeles through his vibrant illustrations of the city’s architectural icons. His coffee table book Golden Hour presents more than 100 original works, from LAX airport to the Griffith Observatory to Bob’s Big Boy. The 220-page hardcover book is also available in a Kickstarter edition signed by the artist with a nighttime dust jacket.

No self-respecting sneakerhead would dare miss reading A Pocket Guide to Adidas by Josh Sims. His deep dive into one of the world’s most iconic brands follows the company’s extraordinary rise from a small town in Germany to a three-striped symbol of high performance, design, and influence in the global cultural zeitgeist.

What does it take to become a legend in (arguably) the world’s toughest sport? The Art of Suffering: Capturing the Brutal Beauty of Road Cycling takes readers behind the agonizing scenes with riders in major tours. As seen through the lens of pro-cycling photographer Kristof Ramon, it’s a lot of blood, sweat, and tears.

New Wave Toys is known for its amazing miniature replicas of arcade machines. They teamed up with author Robert David Swan to create a special hardcover edition of Insert Coin: A Visual Guide to the Golden Age of Arcade Videogames. The book is packed with detailed images, promo art, and screenshots of classic arcade games from 1978 to 1986.

This dynamic duo of books catalogs the greatest superheroes and most devious supervillains from DC and Marvel. Written by comic book expert Melanie Scott, each volume features profiles of more than 130 characters, classified by their powers, sources of energy, and other defining traits.

Saturday Night Live is celebrating 50 years of laughs and music. This coffee table book from resident photographer Mary Ellen Matthews showcases some of the many fun-filled photos she’s taken of hosts and musicians over the past two decades. The book features more than 200 portraits and behind-the-scenes images along with a forward by Lorne Michaels.

Dr. Kevin Peterson’s fascinating book provides a scientific slant on mixology. Cocktail Theory – A Sensory Approach to Transcendent Drinks explores the chemistry of scent and taste and offers ideas for creating uniquely elevated drinks. Trained in physics, engineering, and the science of olefaction, Peterson is renowned for his Detroit cocktail bar Castalia.

This 432-page hardcover book from Taschen explores the origins and evolution of iconic corporate logos. Graphic designers and history buffs will love exploring the more than 6000 logo designs from the 1800s to the 1940s, some of which are still in use today. It’s a great source of creative inspiration too.

Whether you’re a recent whiskey convert or an aficionado, there’s plenty to learn about this beloved brown spirit. The third edition of Dave Broom’s The World Atlas of Whisky catalogs over 500 distilleries and offers tasting notes on 480 expressions. You’ll learn how to taste whiskey about the varied grains and production techniques in different regions.