Coffee-table books say as much about the people who own them as the people who write them.

They exist not to be read, but rather to comment favorably on the good tastes of their owner.

But the coffee-table book is also a time capsule of the era that bore it. Flip to the title page, locate the publishing date, and you’ll have a window into the things people valued in that moment: what they ate, where they lived, how they dressed.

So consider this a look back at the lifestyle trends of 2018, as memorialized by 30 of the most beautiful hard-bound photographic tomes that were released this year.

From old-school hip-hop chronicles to luxury watches to four diverse takes on the human body in all its birthday-suited glory, a feast for the eyes awaits.

AMERICAN CULTURE

New York by New York by Wendell Jamieson

Assouline

Checking in at 11 lbs. and 368 pages, this volume features photos, illustrations and excerpts from a who’s who of the city’s most prominent shutterbugs, artist and writers through the ages.

Tangentially Parenthetical by Ed Templeton
Um Yeah Arts

Gents of a certain age will remember Ed Templeton as a legendary pro skateboarder and founder of Toy Machine in the 1990s, perhaps not realizing that in later years he’s carved out quite the niche for himself as a celebrated photographer and contemporary artist. His new, limited edition book “tells hundreds of new stories through the thoughtful arrangement of semi-related, yet completely unfastened imagery” — we’ll translate that to “takes you on a fun mental journey via weird photos that kinda maybe don’t seem like they go together, but maybe kinda do.” Also comes with a signed limited-edition print that, if Templeton’s current trajectory holds, may be worth a pretty penny someday.

Christopher Street, 1976 by Sunil Gupta
Stanley Barker

Before the AIDS crisis and after Stonewall, New York’s gay community had, in many senses, its Golden Age. This is photographer and activist Sunil Gupta’s definitive yet highly personal portrait of that cultural moment, as told through the intimate black-and-white photos he snapped while wandering the West Village.

The American Fraternity: An Illustrated Ritual Manual by Andrew Moisey
Daylight Books

Since its infancy, the survival of American frat culture has depended on a pact of omertà among its members: brotherhood and loyalty above all, even when upholding those values breaches ethical and legal boundaries. Thus, this book represents a watershed moment, insofar as photographer Andrew Moisey was allowed unfettered access to document the rites, rituals and bacchanals of a chapter at UC Berkeley from 2000-2006. The results are expectedly upsetting; whether they’ll provoke a reaction from the culture at large remains to be seen.

Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents by Pete Souza
Little, Brown and Company

This provocative book from former White House photographer Souza juxtaposes behind-the-scenes photos from the tenure of our 44th president with tweets, headlines and quotes from the tenure of our 45th. No matter your opinion on either, the dissonance is striking.

CONSUMPTION

Choose Your Wine in 7 Seconds: Instantly Understand Any Wine With Confidence by Stephane Rosa and Jess Grinneiser
Rizzoli

As a paperback, your correspondents weren’t quite sure if this qualified as a “coffee table book,” but ultimately the prospect of an idiot-proof infographic guide to the traditionally flowery world of wine description triumphed over our concerns over cover rigidity. User friendly, intuitive and most importantly, designed to have you navigating even the most intimidating wine list like a champ in no time.

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