Awesome Books

One of the many things we love about The Mandalorian is how they show concept art in the closing credits. This 256-page hardcover book lets you give some of these images a more permanent home. The book is packed with art and sketches, along with interviews with the cast, crew, and creative team behind the Disney+ series.

Ever wondered why modern buildings don’t have exterior fire escapes? Who gets to name streets? What are those cryptic spray-painted markings on the ground? Roman Mars and Kurt Kohlstedt’s book delves into the fascinating stories behind the important but subtle things city-dwellers experience on a daily basis.

Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant have been entertaining our minds with their Stuff You Should Know podcasts since 2008. Now, along with Nils Parker, they want to stuff our brains with more, digging into stories like the history of facial hair, where Mr. Potato Head came from, and much more. Pre-order and claim your free SYSK print.

Rogier Wieland Studio created this captivating stop-motion promo clip for Trombosestichting, The Dutch Thrombosis Foundation, who is distributing a free e-book to help educate people about the dangers and warning signs of blood clots, wrapped up in the guise of a noir thriller.

From Chiquita to Count Chocula, from the Geico Gecko to the Jolly Green Giant, mascots have long been a staple of the advertising industry. Author Warren Dotz’s two-volume series is filled with characters from the iconic to the obscure, from the lovable to the downright weird.

Ernest Cline presents the follow-up to his beloved bestseller. After the events of Ready Player One, Wade Watts makes a discovery in Halladay’s vaults – an advancement that could make OASIS even more wondrous – and addictive. Expect a heaping helping of pop culture references when the book hits on 11.24.2020.

From the poison brick-slinging Brickbat to The Horrible Hand, author Jon Morris’ humorous reference book catalogs some of the weirdest and worst supervillains in the history of comic books. Can’t get enough? Round out your bookshelf with some equally unfortunate superheroes and their half-baked sidekicks.

Wally Koval and the followers of the Accidentally Wes Anderson Instagram page are on a mission to find real locations that capture the fastidious and whimsical style of filmmaker Wes Anderson. This 368-page book chronicles some of these wondrous destinations through images and stories, along with a foreword by Anderson himself.

Artist Basil Wolverton was known for his amazingly offbeat illustrations that blended science fiction, fantasy, and humor. The books Creeping Death from Neptune and Brain Bats of Venus chronicle his work from 1909 to 1952, during which time his images were published by everyone from Marvel to MAD Magazine.

This fascinating coffee table book brings together the talents of scientific illustrator / tattoo artist Katy Wiedemann and anatomy professor Dr Jennifer Z Paxton. Its pages are filled with detailed images of the inner workings of our bodies, accompanied by informative text that’s informative but still digestible without a medical degree.

Cocktail expert Robert Simonson’s book offers up 75 recipes for delicious beverages you can make with a simple trio of ingredients. From classics like the Bee’s Knees to modern drinks like Remember the Alimony, there’s something for every taste in this 2018 James Beard Foundation book award finalist.

Since 1980, “Weird Al” Yankovic’s friend and drummer Jon “Bermuda” Schwartz has been documenting Al’s misadventures, capturing images of the world’s greatest novelty singer in the studio, on tour, and on video sets. Schwartz’s 208-page hardcover book is filled with never-before-seen photos shot between 1983 and 1986.

Ever wonder how Starfleet crews keep in such good shape during when they’re not fighting Gorn? Robb Pearlman’s amusing workout book offers up exercises like Vulcan side planks, Tribble twists, and those dreaded Wesley crunchers. The perfect gift for Star Trek fans.

Written by retired Navy SEAL Clint Emerson, this book is packed with illustrated tips and solutions for taking control in dangerous situations, including self defense, escape, and evasion techniques. The tips include low-tech/no-tech methods to help you improvise when things go South. Be sure to check out the Survival Edition as well.

Expand your programming knowledge with an outstanding bundle of eBooks from renowned tech publisher O’Reilly. Pay what you want, but 15 bucks or more gets you all 15 titles, covering SQL, PHP, R, C#, Java, TypeScript, Python, Scala, Rust, and more.

Stuck at home with the kids? Author Mike Rampton comes to the rescue with a compilation of more than 500 family friendly games and diversions to keep the boredom to a minimum. Each activity is ranked by energy level and can be played with stuff lying around the house.

When it’s hot and sunny out, you should be drinking some appropriately sunshiney drinks. Davis Adams’ cocktail book is packed with delicious combinations of rum, fruit juice, and other staples of the tiki scene. And if you’re looking for some glasses to serve your conconctions, we highly recommend Geeki Tikis.

Packed with over 400 pages of artwork and historical artifacts from the Transformers franchise, author Jim Sorenson’s coffee table compendium is sure to delight any Transformers fan. The deluxe edition includes a collector’s box and five ready-to-frame prints.

Learn everything there is to know about coffee in this 256 page reference guide by champion barista Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood. The book features illustrations and information about numerous types of coffee, terminology, along with details on growing, roasting, brewing, and the finer points of coffee tasting.

Were the raptors in Jurassic Park just misunderstood? Who’s the better tough guy movie dog owner? Shea Serrano’s book explores these and other random questions from the world of movies. Arturo Torres‘ witty and sharply-drawn images are the perfect accompaniment to Serrano’s in-depth analysis.

This Humble Bundle is packed with over $1000 worth of reading material from Morgan & Claypool to help you learn about electronic circuits, microcontrollers, and engineering principles. Pay what you want, and if you spend more than $15, you’ll get all 17 e-Books, while supporting the National Coalition Against Censorship.

Sunlife Drawing’s unique coloring books offer a different kind of relaxation for your mind. Rather than traditional illustrations to color in, each page is filled with black and white lineart which result in halftones line and dot patterns when filled in.

Jessica Ambats is passionate about both photography and aviation, and she’s quite the talent behind the lens. Her 160-page book features some of the spectacular images she’s captured over the past 15 years, with a unique focus on pilots who own and fly their own jets. Available as a digital download or hardcover.