Books That Make Great Graduation Gifts

Carefully selected by the creative minds at The Moth, and adapted to the page to preserve the raw energy of live storytelling, All These Wonders features voices both familiar and new as they share their ventures into uncharted territory — and how their lives were changed indelibly by what they discovered there. With passion and humor, they encourage us all to be more open, vulnerable, and alive.

This extraordinary edition of Lean In, by Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook, is expanded and updated exclusively for graduates entering the workforce. Here, Sandberg and six additional experts, offer advice on finding and getting the most out of a first job; résumé writing; best interviewing practices; negotiating your salary; listening to your inner voice; and owning who you are. A combination of inspiration and practical advice, this book is a great gift and resource that will be visited again and again. 

With social media, the world has not only become one giant feed but also one giant confessional. Burn After Writing allows graduates to spend less time scrolling and more time self-reflecting. They’ll push their limits, reflect on their past, present, and future, and create a secret book that’s all about them, and just for them. This is not a diary, and there is no posting required. And when they’re finished, they can toss it, hide it, or Burn After Writing.

Olatunde Sobomehin and sam seidel, co-teachers of the Creative Hustle course at Stanford University, help you identify and navigate your own creative path in this illustrated guide. Taking inspiration and lessons from creative problem-solvers and using activities from the Creative Hustle course, you will begin to see and shape your own path—and follow it to the fulfillment of your goals. See other titles from Stanford d.school You Need A Manifesto and Navigating Ambiguity. 

A gorgeous deluxe edition of the beloved picture book that has inspired generations of readers. The inspiring and timeless message encourages readers to find the success that lies within, no matter what challenges they face. A perennial favorite and a perfect gift for anyone starting a new phase in their life; this edition even includes a commencement speech from Dr. Seuss himself!

In How to Human, Carlos Whittaker offers a fresh vision for becoming the best versions of ourselves. We can refuse to let disagreements define us. We can say no to becoming upset, rage-filled humans and say yes to fuller, happier lives. It begins as we make the shift from “me” to “we” to “everybody” in a three-part journey to be human, see fellow humans, and free those around us. You’ll think, laugh, and be inspired by this practical guide, which reveals how to help others, how to hope fiercely, and how to experience the thrill of being fully human.

Think of a time when you were worried about something, but then you suddenly realized how insignificant it was. Isn’t it amazing how much lighter you felt? The key is to focus only on the here and now. By doing so, you free yourself from unnecessary anxiety, and your mind will be at peace. By following this book’s 48 simple lessons — and taking to heart the nearly 30 zengo, or Zen sayings, quoted throughout — you’ll enjoy a calmer, more relaxed, more positive version of yourself.

Drawing upon the YouTube Originals “Dear Class of 2020” commencement celebration, Dear Grad brings together inspirational speeches and quotes from a galaxy of luminaries including former president Barack Obama, BTS, Malala Yousafzai, Tom Hanks, Condoleezza Rice, Jimmy Kimmel, and many more. Each offers graduates words of wisdom on how to build resilience, embrace possibilities, and give back to their communities as they embark on the next chapter of their story.

A perfect resource for recent graduates, Get Good with Money is a practical ten-step plan that introduces the powerful concept of building wealth through financial wholeness: a realistic, achievable, and energizing alternative to get-rich-quick and over-complicated money management systems. With helpful checklists, worksheets, and a tool kit of resources, this book gets crystal clear on the short-term actions that lead to long-term goals. An invaluable guide to cultivating good financial habits and making your money work for you, Get Good with Money will help you build a solid foundation for your life (and legacy) that’s rich in every way.

Scott Galloway teaches brand strategy at NYU’s Stern School of Business, but his most popular lectures deal with life strategy, not business. In the classroom, he regularly offers hard-hitting answers to the big questions: What’s the formula for a life well lived? How can you have a meaningful career, not just a lucrative one? Is work/life balance possible? Brash, funny, and surprisingly moving, The Algebra of Happiness represents a refreshing perspective on our need for both professional success and personal fulfillment, and makes the perfect gift for any new graduate, or for anyone who feels adrift.

Before he inspired the world with Hamilton and was catapulted to international fame, Lin-Manuel Miranda was inspiring his Twitter followers with words of encouragement at the beginning and end of each day. He wrote these original sayings, aphorisms, and poetry for himself as much as for others. But as Miranda’s audience grew, these messages took on a life on their own. Now Miranda has gathered the best of his daily greetings into a beautiful collection illustrated by acclaimed artist (and fellow Twitter favorite) Jonny Sun. Full of comfort and motivation, Gmorning, Gnight! is a touchstone for anyone who needs a quick lift.

Ryan Holiday’s bestselling trilogy — The Obstacle Is the Way, Ego Is the Enemy, and Stillness Is the Key — captivated professional athletes, CEOs, politicians, and entrepreneurs and helped bring Stoicism to millions of readers. Now, in the first book of an exciting new series on the cardinal virtues of ancient philosophy, Holiday explores the most foundational virtue of all: Courage. For graduates who are taking that scary first step into the unknown, Holiday reminds readers that fear cannot rule you and that fortune favors the brave.

For anyone who has ever had trouble staying motivated while trailblazing toward badassery, You Are a Badass Every Day is the companion to keep you fresh, grateful, mighty, and driven. In one hundred exercises, reflections, and cues that you can use to immediately realign your mind and keep your focus unwavering, this guide is the accountability buddy you can keep in your back pocket to power through obstacles, overcome the doubts that hold you back from greatness, and keep the fires of determination roaring while you reach your goals.

Microjoys are a practice of uncovering joy and finding hope at any moment. They are accessible to everyone. Through beautifully written narrative essays and prompts, Cyndie shares the microjoys that have kept her going through tough times and shows us how we can learn to see the microjoys in our own lives. Microjoys don’t change the truth of loss or make grief any more convenient, but they allow us to temporarily touch joy, keeping us buoyed and moving forward, one moment at a time.

In this book, Bill Burnett and Dave Evans show readers how design thinking can help create a life that is both meaningful and fulfilling, regardless of who or where we are, what we do or have done for a living, or how young or old we are. The same design thinking responsible for amazing technology, products, and spaces can be used to design and build your career and your life, a life of fulfillment and joy, constantly creative and productive, one that always holds the possibility of surprise. What an inspiration for graduates to know that they can design a life they can thrive in, at any age or stage.

Every moment in our life happens only once, and if we let it slip away, we lose it forever — an idea captured by the Japanese phrase ichigo ichie. Often spoken in Japan to convey that the encounter is unique, it is a tenet of Zen Buddhism, whose intricate rituals compel us to focus on the present moment. In The Book of Ichigo Ichie, you will learn to appreciate the beauty of the fleeting, how to be alert to the magic of coincidences, and the ability to use all five senses to anchor yourself in the present. Every one of us contains a key that can open the door to attention, harmony with others, and love of life.

This is Oh, the Places You’ll Never Go — the ultimate hilarious, cynical, but absolutely realistic view of a college graduate’s future. And what he or she can or can’t do about it, from the bestselling author Carl Hiaasen. This book is a perfect gift for graduates, but it’s also a good gift for anyone starting a job, getting married, or recently released from prison. Because it is not just funny. It is, in its own Hiaasen way, extremely wise and hopeful. Well, it might not be full of hope, but there are certainly enough slivers of the stuff in there to more than keep us all going.

This national bestseller gives us Morrison’s searing prayer for the dead of 9/11, her Nobel lecture on the power of language, her searching meditation on Martin Luther King Jr., and her heart-wrenching eulogy for James Baldwin. She looks deeply into the fault lines of culture and freedom: the foreigner, female empowerment, the press, money, “black matter(s),” human rights, the artist in society, and the Afro-American presence in American literature. An essential collection from an essential writer, The Source of Self-Regard shines with the literary elegance, intellectual prowess, spiritual depth, and moral compass that have made Toni Morrison our most cherished and enduring voice.

Simon Sinek believes that fulfillment is a right and not a privilege. He believes that we are all entitled to wake up in the morning inspired to go to work and return home fulfilled at the end of the day. And achieving that fulfillment starts with understanding exactly WHY you do what you do. For graduates who are just starting their first job, to team leaders, to CEOs, the exercises in this book are a guide on the path to long-term success and fulfillment.

From the bestselling author Adam Grant comes an examination on how people can champion new ideas in their careers and everyday life — and how leaders can fight groupthink. Here Grant asks: How can we originate new ideas, policies, and practices without risking it all? Using surprising studies and stories spanning business, politics, sports, and entertainment, Grant explores how to recognize a good idea, speak up without getting silenced, and manage fear and doubt. The payoff is a set of groundbreaking insights about rejecting conformity and improving the status quo.

Ted Chiang tackles some of humanity’s oldest questions along with new quandaries only he could imagine. These stories will change the way you think, feel, and see the world. They are Ted Chiang at his best: profound, sympathetic, and revelatory. Ted Chiang discusses some of humanity’s oldest questions along with new quandaries only he could imagine in nine stunningly original, provocative, and poignant stories — two published for the very first time.

The Elevation Approach presents Tina’s four-phase plan, a flexible and foolproof technique that helps you meet your goals without sacrificing joy for productivity and progress. Rather than treating work and life as separate and necessarily opposing forces, The Elevation Approach integrates your personal and professional ambitions, values, and responsibilities at every turn. With exercises featuring writing prompts and worksheets, real-world insights from business leaders and creatives, and “Instant Elevation” practices that ensure your efforts align with your priorities in each phase, The Elevation Approach is a one-stop solution to work-life harmony.

This revised and updated edition is the indispensable handbook for becoming the creative force of your own life. While most self-help books offer quick fixes, Everything is Figureoutable will retrain your brain to think more creatively and positively in the face of setbacks. In the words of Cheryl Strayed, it’s “a must-read for anyone who wants to face their fears, fulfill their dreams, and find a better way forward.” Everything is Figureoutable is more than just a fun phrase to say. It’s a philosophy of relentless optimism. A mindset. A mantra. A conviction. And most important, it’s about to make you unstoppable.

Unlike most personal finance books that focus on skills and behaviors, Finance for the People asks you to examine your beliefs and experiences around money — blending extremely practical exercises with mindfulness, and including more than 50 illustrations and diagrams to make the concepts accessible. Paco de Leon is a friendly, approachable, and wise guide who invites readers to change their relationship with money. This book is for anyone who feels unseen, ignored, or bored to death by the way personal finances are approached and taught, and is ready to go on a journey of self-discovery and step into their financial power.

This gift will help graduates discover the life-changing memoir that has inspired millions of readers through the Academy Award-winning actor’s unflinching honesty, unconventional wisdom, and lessons learned the hard way about living with greater satisfaction.

Nobel Peace Prize Laureates His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have survived more than fifty years of exile and the violence of oppression. Despite their hardships — or, as they would say, because of them — they are two of the most joyful people on the planet. Here we get to listen as they offer readers the Eight Pillars of Joy, which provide the foundation for lasting happiness. Finally, they share their daily Joy Practices that anchor their own emotional and spiritual lives. In this unique collaboration, they offer us the reflection of real lives filled with pain and turmoil in the midst of which they have been able to discover a level of peace, of courage, and of joy to which we can all aspire in our own lives.

In her most revealing and powerful memoir yet, the activist, speaker, and bestselling author explores the joy and peace we discover when we stop striving to meet others’ expectations and start trusting the voice deep within us. Untamed will show graduates how to be brave. Because, as Glennon insists: The braver we are, the luckier we get.

A sharp, funny grammar guide graduates will actually want to read, from Random House’s longtime copy chief and one of Twitter’s leading language gurus. We all write, all the time: books, blogs, emails. Lots and lots of emails. And we all want to write better. Benjamin Dreyer is here to help. As authoritative as it is amusing, Dreyer’s English is chockful of advice, insider wisdom, and fun facts, and will prove to be invaluable to all new graduates.

Every young grad needs this fun, snarky primer for the real world. If you’re looking for an inspirational book for young people starting life’s great adventure, you probably want to read Dr. Seuss’s Oh, the Places You’ll Go! But before your first day of actual work, you need to meet Dr. Suits for a dose of reality. With his unique blend of hilarious verse and images, Dr. Suits can help young grads get a handle on what’s really about to hit them. Oh, the Meetings You’ll Go To! is a brutally honest, and ultimately uplifting, take on the struggles of post-grad life that every 20-something will relate to. Tough love never made you laugh so hard.

With propulsive, intimate stylings and an eye toward Black liberations, pop culture, sports, and familial fractures, Wires that Sputter meets the world with the posture of a portraitist and the deftness of a poet-as-acrobat, as seeker. Here in these wondrous poems is an attentiveness toward that which harrows as well as that which heals, toward the power of space-giving and fragmentation. Rupture and recovery, tribute and tribulation, a revivifying musicality, and room to breathe — all dapple these pages, where electricity manifests in every line.

Everyone knows that timing is everything. But we don’t know much about timing itself. Our lives are a never-ending stream of “when” decisions: when to start a business, schedule a class, or get serious about a person. Yet we make those decisions based on intuition and guesswork. Timing, it’s often assumed, is an art. In When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, Pink shows that timing is really a science. In When, Pink distills cutting-edge research and data on timing and synthesizes them into a fascinating, readable narrative packed with irresistible stories and practical takeaways that give readers compelling insights into how we can live richer, more engaged lives.

We live in a society where kids and parents are obsessed with early achievement, from getting perfect scores on the SATs to getting into Ivy League colleges to landing an amazing job at Google or Facebook. Late bloomers, on the other hand, are under-valued — in popular culture, by educators and employers, and even unwittingly by parents. Yet the fact is, late bloomers enjoy hidden strengths because they take their time to discover their way in life — strengths coveted by many employers and partners — including curiosity, insight, compassion, resilience, and wisdom. This is a groundbreaking exploration of how finding one’s way later in life can be an advantage to long-term achievement and happiness.

Brené Brown has taught us what it means to dare greatly, rise strong, and brave the wilderness. Now, based on new research conducted with leaders, change makers, and culture shifters, she’s showing us how to put those ideas into practice so we can step up and lead.

This book offers us different ways to experience time that can bring within reach a more humane way of living. Odell urges us to become stewards of these different rhythms of life in which time is not reducible to standardized units and instead forms the very medium of possibility. Saving Time tugs at the seams of reality as we know and rearranges it, imagining a world not centered on work, the office clock, or the profit motive. If we can “save” time by imagining a life, identity, and source of meaning outside these things, time might also save us.

If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don’t want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you’ll get a proven system that can take you to new heights. Atomic Habits will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits — whether you are a team looking to win a championship, an organization hoping to redefine an industry, or simply an individual who wishes to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, or achieve any other goal.

In writing Becoming, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama shared her own extraordinary journey to help create space for others to tell their stories and to give people the courage to discover the power of their own voice. With this journal, she now provides you with the encouragement to find value in your own personal journey of becoming. Becoming: A Guided Journal for Discovering Your Voice includes thought-provoking prompts designed to help you reflect on your personal and family history; your goals, challenges, and dreams; what moves you and brings you hope; and what future you imagine for yourself and your community.