"An intensely personal, behind-the-scenes look at modern zoos, written in a lively, accessible style. Through a variety of true stories, some funny, some sad, occurring in different cities and on different continents, Bonner describes the changing role of zoos and argues that conservation is the shared responsibility of all mankind"--Provided by publisher.

Geobiologist Hope Jahren has spent her life studying trees, flowers, seeds, and soil. Lab Girl is her revelatory treatise on plant life?but it is also a celebration of the lifelong curiosity, humility, and passion that drive every scientist. In these pages, Hope takes us back to her Minnesota childhood, where she spent hours in unfettered play in her father?s college laboratory. She tells us how she found a sanctuary in science, learning to perform...

"Marley, Oogy, Huck-and now, Traffy, the "forever dog" that changed one couple's life. All Megan Rix ever wanted was a baby. Yet, month after month, Megan's dreams were dashed. Would her life ever feel complete? Megan and her husband, Ian, found a surprising answer when they began training golden retriever pups to become service dogs for people with disabilities. But opening their homes and hearts up to Emma, and then Freddy-only to have each move...

The true story about a baby hippo and a tortoise who become friends after a natural disaster.

When Arizona was created as a U.S. territory in 1864, Prescott became its first capital. Accompanying the city's rich history is an equally dramatic heritage of supernatural manifestations. Visitors report a strange chill in the Palace Restaurant and taps on the shoulder at the Smoki Museum. Lingering spirits crowd famed hotels like the Vendome and the Hassayampa Inn, as well as theaters such as the Elks Opera House and Prescott Center for the Arts....

A correspondent for "Outside" magazine details his participation in a hunt for American bison in the Alaskan wilderness while reflecting on the history of the buffalo and the future of an animal that has haunted the American imagination.

"For more than twenty-five years, David Sedaris has been carving out a unique literary space, virtually creating his own genre. A Sedaris story may seem confessional, but is also highly attuned to the world outside. It opens our eyes to what is at absurd and moving about our daily existence. And it is almost impossible to read without laughing. Now, for the first time collected in one volume, the author brings us his funniest and most memorable work....