This is the inspiring nineteenth-century account of a gritty, determined man whose Alaskan adventures epitomized the “can-do” attitude that transformed a nation. Edited by his great-grandson John Clark, Hazelet’s Journal is an... Read More

Steve Kanji Ruhl’s "Appalachian Zen" is a memoir about a Buddhist awakening. Ruhl grew up in a trailer park in Appalachia with a deep yearning to be somewhere else. He began to practice Zen Buddhism, viewing it as a welcome contrast to... Read More

In "Wake Up, This Is Joburg", photographer Mark Lewis and writer Tanya Zack document stories about people getting by on the fringes of Johannesburg. These pieces are sometimes sad, sometimes inspiring, and add up to a complicated picture... Read More

In "Chasing Plants", botanist Chris Thorogood shares how his lifelong obsession with plants led him to precarious situations in far-flung places to find them, no matter what it took. Thorogood sketched and scribbled his way around the... Read More

With its stunning illustrations, "Wild Sonoma" will entertain oenophiles and naturalists as they visit Northern California’s wine country. This book is compelling in suggesting that, after you’ve sampled a juicy cabernet or an oaky... Read More

In "Same Ground", Russell Wangersky searches for family and belonging along the trail of the California gold rush. In 1849, William Castle Dodge gave up training to become a lawyer to travel to California and join the gold rush.... Read More

"Dispatches from the Cowgirl" is a fascinating diplomat’s wife’s memoir that covers exciting postings in Africa. Julie Tully’s memoir "Dispatches from the Cowgirl" is a vicarious visit to expat life in Africa. Tully, the American... Read More

The travel memoir "Suspected Hippie in Transit" is filled with sharp observations about class, spiritual practices, and fellow seekers. Martin Frumkin’s rollicking travel memoir "Suspected Hippie in Transit" follows his 1970s,... Read More