Finding the perfect gift for the dedicated public servant in your life can feel like a daunting task—how do you thank someone who tirelessly works to make our communities better?

Fear not! Books are the ultimate thoughtful gift, offering inspiration, escape, and a chance to reflect on the world they serve. Whether they’re policy wonks, local heroes, or just in need of a good laugh after a long day, this list has something for everyone.

From gripping fiction to adventurous memoirs, here are five books that any public servant would be thrilled to unwrap. So if you were sent this list by the public servant in your life, take this as a sign to buy them one of these titles.

📚 A bit of fiction: The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

When was the last time a civil servant was the main character of a novel? You don’t have to look any further than this year’s release The Ministry of Time. The story centers around a disenchanted civil servant who is offered a unique opportunity to work in a new government ministry gathering “expats” from across history to test time travel.

How would you cope with trying to put together a group of time travelers?

🔍 The life of one public servant: Freedom: Memoirs 1954 - 2021 by Angela Merkel

How does one decide to dedicate their life to government work? Angela Merkel’s memoir offers a compelling example of an individual who early on decided to dedicate their life to working in government.

🌃 The history of a city: The Power Broker by Robert E. Caro

The Power Broker is arguably one of the most comprehensive accounts of state politics and the formation of a city. In this political biography, Caro explores how he built New York City from the ground up and collaborated with governmental departments to expand his vision of the city.

🌓 Escape to space: Orbital by Samantha Harvey

How would you feel being part of a team of astronauts sent by the International Space Station to collect data? while reading this novel, you can pretend to be helping accrue integral research on human life from afar.

❄️ Not your typical book on climate change: The Quickening: Antarctica, Motherhood, and Cultivating Hope in a Warming World by Elizabeth Rush

Elizabeth Rush boards the Nathaniel B. Palmer with a group of fifty-seven scientists to see the Thwaites Glacier at Antarctica's western edge. Rush tells the story of the glacier that is visited by humans for the first time ever as part of their expedition.

Although most books on climate change are a slog to get through, the memoir offers an intriguing personal angle to consider the question of our ever-evolving climate.

__What books do you think we are missing from the list? Leave your ideas in the comment section below! __

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