What we’re about
Come hang with us at our non-fiction book swaps in Austin, TX or your home city. Always free to attend.
How it Works
Bring a non-fiction book(s) you’d actually recommend 📚
Memoirs, essays, business, psychology, science, culture, history are—all welcome. The only rule is that it’s a book you’d genuinely recommend it to a friend and are willing to let go of as part of our free community swap.
Write a recommendation card 📝
For every book you bring, you’ll be asked to write a short recommendation on a card. The format is inspired by handwritten staff picks at local independent bookstores here in Austin, but with one twist that’s specific to the Hi From Business Camp 🏕️ brand.
Each recommendation card at our swaps will have a prompt created by our team. Rather than a simple “why did you recommend this,” our goal with the prompts is to encourage fun dialogue and turn the books into a shared archive of taste, curiosity, and lived experience.
Browse, read the cards, & take a book with you 📕
Browse, read the cards, and take a book with you and hopefully chat with some other folks at the swap and make some new connections and friends.
Upcoming events
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Free Non-Fiction Book Swap | Austin
Freddo ATX, 2336 S Congress Avenue, Austin, TX, USWHEN
Saturday, January 31st from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
WHERE
Freddo
2336 S Congress Avenue
Austin, Tx 78704
We’ve reserved a picnic table outside and we’ll have a small sign for the book swap so you can find us. Free to attend. RSVP if you want, or just show up and bring a book.
FAQs
Is this really free?
Yes. The book swaps are free to attend.
You don’t need a ticket and you don’t need to pay to show up. Just bring a non-fiction book you’re willing to pass along and join us.
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Why non-fiction only?
Non-fiction aligns more closely with the work we do at Hi From Business Camp. Our community uses reading as a way to think better, understand how things work, and make sense of decisions, systems, habits, relationships, and work. Non-fiction supports that kind of reflection and conversation more consistently in a group setting.
There’s also a practical reason. Setting a clear theme makes it easier to decide what to bring and keeps the swap cohesive and straightforward.
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What happens to the books after the swap?
Some books leave with someone new and never come back. Some stay in circulation and show up again later. That’s intentional. Over time, the books become a small, evolving collection shaped by the community, not by trends or sales charts.
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I’m really interested, but I can’t attend in person. Will there be a virtual version?
Glad you asked. Yes, we’re working on it. We’re exploring a virtual extension of the book swap for people who can’t attend in person. It won’t be a carbon copy of the physical experience, and we’re being intentional about how it works. Conveniently, our sister company happens to be a software company, so we’re thinking carefully about what would make sense here. Stay tuned.
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Can I still come if I don’t have a book?
Yes. You’re welcome to come by and check it out, even if you don’t have a book with you. If you’d like to take a book home, we ask that you bring one when possible. The swap works best when people contribute, and the goal is to keep the exchange balanced and community-driven. That said, you’re still more than welcome to show up, browse, and get a feel for the swap without a book.
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How do I get notified about upcoming swaps?
Join the book swap email list. We only email when a new swap is scheduled or when we’re hosting one in a new city.1 attendee
Group links
Organizers
Members
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