This is a good question for old timers that learned to code by rote with a home computer back in the day when you could learn a language and all of it from a co

This is a good question for old timers that learned to code by rote with a home computer back in the day when you could learn a language and all of it from a couple of manuals. But times have changed and nowadays I do not have any books directly relevant to my current programming skill set - Stack Overflow is my friend. So what books do I have? Books on usability and web accessibility are good reads, however no obvious title springs to mind ('Don't Make Me Think!' would last your friend all of a morning). One thing though, chess. Chess is played in prisons and some prisoners get rather good at it. Maybe encourage your friend to form a chess league if there isn't one already. Perhaps get him a really good book on chess that can be used by this chess league to be.