Ten gift ideas for dads

With Father’s Day is just around the corner (Sunday 7 September), we’ve put together a list of ten gift ideas for the ‘dad who…’


For the dad who always warned you off hitchhiking:

In Carsick, John Waters puts his life on the line and hitchhikes across America from Baltimore to San Francisco, braving lonely roads and treacherous drivers. Along the way, he fantasises about the best and worst possible scenarios: a friendly drug dealer hands over piles of cash to finance films with no questions asked, a demolition-derby driver makes a filthy sexual request in the middle of a race, a gun-toting drunk terrorizes and holds him hostage, and a Kansas vice squad entraps and throws him in jail.


For the dad who enjoys showing off his word-knowledge:

In The Aitch Factor, long-time editor of the Macquarie Dictionary Susan Butler takes you on an insightful, often hilarious exploration of the words, from aitch to amazeballs, from mondegreens to man boobs. She looks at why we keep changing our pronunciation of Beijing, when to use a hyphen, why we really should just take a stand and ban the apostrophe, and why saying ‘Haitch’ once meant social death in certain circles. This quirky gift book is sure to delight word-lovers and language aficionados from Melbourne to Mooloolaba.


For the dad with a passion for existential crime shows:

In 2012, Louisiana State Police Detectives Rust Cohle and Martin Hart are brought in to revisit a homicide case they worked in 1995. As the inquiry unfolds in present day through separate interrogations, the two former detectives narrate the story of their investigation, reopening unhealed wounds, and drawing into question their supposed solving of a bizarre ritualistic murder in 1995.


For the dad who reads financial, market and economic news and analysis:

French economist Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century is a groundbreaking release, a bestselling book about economics. Nobel prize-winning economist Paul Krugman called the work a ‘magnificent, sweeping meditation on inequality’ and ‘the most important economics book of the year - and maybe of the decade’.


For the dad who dabbles in photography:

Dorothea Lange: Grab a Hunk of Lightning celebrates the life and work of one of the twentieth century’s most important photographers. The introduction presents an authoritative illustrated biography of Lange by her goddaughter, Elizabeth Partridge, compiled using rare archival materials available only to close family members of the artist (audio interviews, field notes, journal entries, and letters). The rest of the book comprises a career-spanning monograph of Lange’s work.


For the dad who’s intrigued by science experiments:

Drawing on her own work as well as from research across the globe, Dr. Thalma Lobel reveals how shockingly susceptible we are to sensory input from the world around us. An aggressive negotiator can be completely disarmed by holding a warm cup of tea or sitting in a soft chair; Red-coloured type causes us to fail exams, but red dresses make women sexier, and teams wearing red jerseys win more games; We take questionnaires attached to heavy clipboards more seriously, and believe people who like sweets to be nicer.


For the dad who’s #auspol mad:

The Book of Paul: The Wit and Wisdom of Paul Keating presents the one and only Mr Paul Keating - at his straight-shooting, scumbag-calling, merciless best. Here’s just a sample of what to expect… On John Howard: ‘The little desiccated coconut is under pressure and he is attacking anything he can get his hands on.’ On Peter Costello: ‘The thing about poor old Costello is he is all tip and no iceberg.’ On John Hewson: ‘(His performance) is like being flogged with a warm lettuce.’


For the new father:

Katrina Germein’s extremely hilarious My Dad Thinks He’s Funny (and illustrated by Tom Jellett) is a deserved favourite at Readings and filled with the very best (or is it worst) Dad jokes.


For the dad who attends the footy every week:

In Game Day, Miriam Sved brings to light the the beat that is Aussie Rules. The new draft pick, the tired has-been, the up-and-comer, the might-have-been. The talent scout, the coach on the edge, the beleaguered umpire, the concerned medic. The number-one fan, the lifetime members, the desperate gamblers. The footballers’ mums, the WAGs, the groupies. The tags, the rivals, the sledging. The pressure.


For the dad who simply loves pies:

From this much-loved French chef comes a delicious overview of pies and tarts from the regions of France. The book organises pies and tarts into 6 sections: Vegetable & Mushroom; Poultry & Rabbit; Beef & Meats; Fish & Seafood; Cheese; and Fruit and Sweet.


Browse more gift ideas for Father’s Day right here!