Steve Morin
Bookshop operator, 27
'Kitchen Confidential' by Anthony Bourdain. It would be a good holiday read. I would buy it for any foodie friend because you see all the good points and bad points of the industry. It's more positive on balance, but it's still an expose of sorts.

Terry Wilson
CPA, 41
My first choice is a pre-owned copy of 'Faces of Japan' from Sophia Uni Press by George Lensen who was a very famous photographer from New York. The production quality is so good it's almost like silver gelatin prints.

Saneyuki Abe
Student, 24
I have only read it in Japanese, but I would buy Somerset Maugham, "The Moon and Sixpence." The main character had a wife and a child and a good job, but he threw away everything for art. I liked his decision.

Alexa Aitken
Teacher, 23
I'm looking at Haruki Murakami for my friend. I've read a few of his and I really like them. My friends are particularly interested in the Japanese way of thinking, and I feel like it gives you a deeper insight into Japanese culture.

Zac Vance
Teacher, 25
I'd probably buy the German edition of "Prisoner of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling for my friend Ebow, because he studied German at uni, but recently he's been feeling a bit out of touch not speaking German in Japan.

Marie Nagata
Student, 18
I'd buy a cookbook for my friend Rina because she recently started cooking, and I started to cook too. A make-things-at-home type book -- 10 minutes cooking, with lots of recipes for cakes in it, of course.