🧠Because truth is often stranger—and funnier—than fiction.
Memoirs, essays, and deep dives into everything from psychology to platypuses. Smart reads for curious minds.
The New York Times–bestselling author’s pioneering true crime classic: It’s “Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood turned inside out” (Newsweek).  During an armed robbery in 1974, five hostages were held in the basement of a small home-audio store in Ogden, Utah, by a group...
A compelling history of silence as a shaper of the human mind—in prisons, in places of contemplation, and in our own lives—from the author of Brilliant.Through her evocative intertwined histories of the penitentiary and the monastery, Jane Brox illuminates the many...
“A fascinating exploration of this vast mysterious universe. Wonderfully written, it will grab you from page one and carry you all the way through.” ―Philippe CousteauThe ocean teems with life that thrives under difficult situations in unusual environments. The...
"With its gentle affirmations, inspirational quotes, fill-in-the-blank lists and tasks — write yourself a thank-you letter, describe yourself at 80, for example — The Artist’s Way proposes an egalitarian view of creativity: Everyone’s got it."—The New York Times...
A collection of gut-busting, man vs. nature tales from America’s “most gifted outdoor humorist,” the Field & Stream and Outdoor Life columnist (Detroit Free Press).Patrick F. McManus’s hilarious and comic stories of camping and other nature-oriented activities reach...
Cancer touches everybody’s life in one way or another. But most of us know very little about how the disease works, why we treat it the way we do, and the personalities whose dedication got us where we are today. For fifty years, Dr. Vincent T. DeVita Jr. has been one...
"Splendidly articulate, informative and provoking....A book to be savored and gone back to."—Baltimore SunOn the survival and destruction of knowledge, from Alexandria to the Internet. Through the ages, libraries have not only accumulated and preserved but also...
This guide to the language differences between the United States and United Kingdom is “a fascinating collection full of all kinds of surprises” (Minneapolis Star Tribune).Taxi rank . . . toad in the hole . . . dustman . . . fancy dress . . . American visitors to...
Booksellers share the quirky questions and odd requests from customers that leave them speechless . . .  “I’ve forgotten my glasses, can you read me the first chapter?”  “Did Beatrix Potter ever write a book about dinosaurs?”  “Excuse me . . . is this book edible?”  ...
“A sharp eye and an ingenious mind are at work on every page. . . . Read this book. . . . Then go forth, enjoy the view, and impress your friends.” —Laurence A. Marschall, Natural HistoryHow heavy is that cloud? Why can you see farther in rain than in fog? Why are the...