"Salman Rushdie is celebrated as a storyteller of the highest order, illuminating deep truths about our society and culture through his gorgeous, often searing, prose. Now, in his latest collection of nonfiction, he brings together insightful and inspiring essays, criticism, and speeches that focus on his relationship with the written word, and solidify his place as one of the most original thinkers of our time. Gathering pieces written between 2003...

“A rendering of a deep and lasting friendship . . . Dozens of anecdotes about Sweets and Ivins and their rollicking adventures in cooking and eating.” —Denver Post
 
You probably knew Molly Ivins as an unabashed civil libertarian who used her sharp wit and good ole Texas horse sense to excoriate political figures she deemed unworthy of our trust and respect. But did you also know that...

From the best-selling, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of All Over but the Shoutin' and The Best Cook in the World, a collection of irresistible columns from Southern Living and Garden & Gun
Celebrated author and newspaper columnist Rick Bragg brings us an ode to the stories and history of the Deep South, filled with “eclectic nuggets about places and people he knows well” (USA Today) and...

What is it that distinguishes Texas women—the famous Yellow Rose and her descendants? Is it that combination of graciousness and grit that we revere in First Ladies Laura Bush and Lady Bird Johnson? The rapier-sharp wit that Ann Richards and Molly Ivins used to skewer the good ole boy establishment? The moral righteousness with which Barbara Jordan defended the US constitution? An unnatural fondness for Dr Pepper and queso?

In her inimitable

...

A fearless, "funny, poignant, and super-smart" (Ms. magazine) essay collection about race, justice, and the limits of good intentions.
In this "inspiring, determined work of personal narrative and cultural criticism" (Saeed Jones, author of How We Fight for Our Lives), essayist and award-winning voice actor Tajja Isen explores the absurdity of living in a world that has grown fluent in the language of social justice but doesn't...

"An inspired weaving of indigenous knowledge, plant science, and personal narrative from a distinguished professor of science and a Native American whose previous book, Gathering Moss, was awarded the John Burroughs Medal for outstanding nature writing. As a botanist and professor of plant ecology, Robin Wall Kimmerer has spent a career learning how to ask questions of nature using the tools of science. As a Potawatomi woman, she learned from elders,...

"It's no coincidence that the world's best writers tend to keep diaries. If you faithfully record your life in a journal, you're writing every day--and if you write every day, you become a better writer. David Sedaris has kept a diary for forty years. This means that if you've kept a diary for a year of your life or less, Sedaris is at least forty times better at writing than you are. In his diaries, he's recorded everything that has captured his...

From legendary chef Jacques Pepin, a book celebrating his lifelong love of chickens, featuring dozens of his celebrated paintings and more than 50 recipes, along with a treasure trove of poignant and often humorous stories. Chicken may not be a fancy or extravagant ingredient, but for master chef Jacques Pépin, it is the one he turns to regularly. In this beautifully illustrated book, Jacques reminisces on his life through the lens of the humble...

Based on a trip with his brother in 1839, "A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers" is an excellent example of Thoreau's talent for naturalistic writing. In exquisite detail Thoreau depicts the nature that surrounds him over the course of his trip. One of only two books to be published during his lifetime, Thoreau began work on "A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers" following his brother's death in 1842, however the work was not fully completed...

Aristotle. Socrates. Descartes. And now, Chenoweth. (How about some women, am I right?) From television actress, Broadway star, and New York Times bestselling author Kristin Chenoweth comes I'm No Philosopher, But I Got Thoughts, an inspiring high-design, colorful book featuring philosophical-ish musings on connection, creativity, loss, love, and closure. You'll be inspired to develop your own life philosophies, as you journey through some of Kristin's...