We don’t like to generalize here at Goodreads World Headquarters, but let’s be frank: Some people are just hard to buy for—especially when it comes to books. Nonfiction readers, for instance, can be a little notorious in this regard, as there are so many different types of books that fall under the nonfiction umbrella.
 
In the spirit of consumer advocacy and targeted gift-giving advice, we’ve put together this collection of gift book recommendations for the nonfiction reader in your life. To help you out, we’ve come up with a variety of common reader types on holiday shopping lists. You’ve got your history buffs, your foodies, your sports fans, your science nerds.
 
Most of the books here skew new or relatively recent, but we’ve also gone deeper into the archive for some acknowledged classics. Click on the book cover images for more information about each title. Feel free to make further suggestions to your fellow Goodreaders in the comments. And you can use the Want to Read button to track your potential gift ideas. Happy hunting!