Coffee table book industry standards. a coffee table book is an outstanding medium for showing off some of your most eye-catching visuals. typically, coffee table books consist of photographs, illustrations, or art accompanied by small amounts of text.. Coffee table book on a coffee table a coffee table book is an oversized, usually hard-covered book whose purpose is for display on a table intended for use in an area in which one entertains guests and from which it can serve to inspire conversation.. May 4, 2005 a new web-based service that offers personalised single-copy high-quality coffee-table books could give the humble book a new life in the digital age..