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Ten essays on nature, ritual, and philosophy "that are so point-blank vital you nearly need to put the book down to settle yourself" (San Francisco Chronicle). Gretel Ehrlich's world is one of solitude and wonder, pain and beauty, and these elements give life to her stunning prose. Ever since her acclaimed debut, The Solace of Open Spaces, she has illuminated the particular qualities of nature and the self with graceful precision. In Islands, the Universe, Home, Ehrlich expands her explorations, traveling to the remote reaches of the earth and deep into her soul.

The collected nonfiction of the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Ironweed: "A great pleasure to read no matter what the subject" (Library Journal). When William Kennedy arrives in Barcelona, his guidebook recommends taking the trolley around town-but the trolleys haven't run in the city for years. He's on his way to interview the novelist Gabriel Garcia MArquez when, out of the corner of his eye, he sees something impossible: a yellow trolley running down the street.

In Her Voice is the first book that takes the words and experiences of a diverse group of celebrated women film directors and puts their voices front and center. This unique volume of interviews presents more than 40 feature and documentary directors from around the world, including Debra Granik (Winter's Bone), Courtney Hunt (Frozen River), Callie Khouri (Mad Money), Sally Potter (Rage), Lone Scherfig (An Education) and Lynn Shelton (Humpday).

"The Best American Travel Writing has been the gold standard for short-form travel writing from newspapers, magazines, and the Internet since its inception." -New York Times Book Review Everyone travels for different reasons, but whatever those reasons are, one thing is certain-they come back with stories.

"Undeniably exquisite...'eveal[s] not only how science actually happens but also who or what propels its immutable humanity." -Maria Popova "An excellent introduction to the key issues in science today." -P. D. Smith, Guardian "[A] stellar compendium...'elightful to read." -Publishers Weekly, starred review A renowned scientist and the best-selling author of Lab Girl, Hope Jahren selects the year's top science and nature writing from writers who balance research with humanity and in the process uncover riveting stories of discovery across disciplines.

For a quarter century, the annual Best American Sports Writing has showcased the greatest sports journalism of the previous year. This year's guest editor, acclaimed author Howard Bryant, continues the tradition, seeking out writing that best captures the unpredictable journey of sports.

"Jamison has done an exceptional job curating this volume, selecting essayists who are diverse in ideas and experiences, and essays that are challenging, passionate, sobering, and clever." --Publishers Weekly "The essay is political-and politically useful, by which I mean humanizing and provocative-because of its commitment to nuance, its explorations of contingency, its spirit of unrest, its glee at overturned assumptions; because of the double helix of awe and distrust-faith and doubt-that structures its DNA," writes guest editor Leslie Jamison in her introduction.

Ursula K. Le Guin on the absurdity of denying your age: "If I'm ninety and believe I'm forty-five, I'm headed for a very bad time trying to get out of the bathtub."On cultural perceptions of fantasy: "The direction of escape is toward freedom. So what is 'escapism' an accusation of'"On breakfast: "Eating an egg from the shell takes not only practice, but resolution, even courage, possibly willingness to commit crime." Ursula K. Le Guin has taken readers to imaginary worlds for decades.

A posthumous collection of essays about the modern world from one of Europe's greatest, and best-selling, literary figures Umberto Eco was an international cultural superstar. In this, his last collection, the celebrated essayist and novelist observes the changing world around him with irrepressible curiosity and profound wisdom.

Nothing fascinates us more than explorations of human origins, and nobody tells the story better than Ian Tattersall. What makes us so different' How did we get this way' How do we know' And what exactly are we' These questions are what make human evolution a subject of general fascination. Ian Tattersall, one of those rare scientists who is also a graceful writer, addresses them in this delightful book.