A collection of stories about animals that have forged unlikely, abiding bonds with other animals of different species, from Koko the gorilla and All Ball the kitten to Owen the hippo and the tortoise Mzee.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks documents the story of how scientists took cells from an unsuspecting descendant of freed slaves and created a human cell line that has been kept alive indefinitely, enabling numerous medical and scientific discoveries.

Stacy Schiff separates fact from fiction to reconstruct the life of Cleopatra, revealing her as a complex woman and shrewd monarch whose life and death reshaped the ancient world.

The author of A Short History of Nearly Everything explores the ways in which homes reflect history, from a bathroom's revelations about medicine and hygiene to a kitchen's exposure of the stories of trade and nutrition.

The story of a Nebraska pastor's 4-year-old son, who loses consciousness during surgery, sees a vision of heaven and meets Jesus' special horse.

Describes the actions of both whites and Comanches during a 40-year war over territory, in a story that begins with the kidnapping of a white girl who grew up to marry a Comanche chief and have a son, Quanah, who became a great warrior.

Humor writer Richard Benson collects hilariously wrong test answers.

In an epic history covering the period from the end of World War I through the 1970s, a Pulitzer Prize winner chronicles the decades-long migration of African-Americans from the South to the North and West through the stories of three individuals and their families.

Recounts the author's experiences with the reclusive Tarahumara Indians, whose techniques allow them to run long distances with ease, and describes his training for a 50-mile race with the tribe and a number of ultramarathoners.

The Almanac returns with weather predictions; astronomical data; gardening advice; and ideas, hints and charts that provide simple solutions for everyday challenges.

Artist and musician Patti Smith recounts her romance, lifetime friendship and shared love of art with Robert Mapplethorpe in an illustrated memoir, with a colorful cast of characters including Bob Dylan, Allen Ginsberg, Andy Warhol and William Burroughs.

In a hilarious collection of personal essays, the best-selling author of I Feel Bad About My Neck discusses her career in journalism, divorce, a long-anticipated inheritance with unanticipated results, the evolution of her relationship with her email inbox and more.

The author of Blink identifies the qualities of successful people, posing theories about the cultural, family and idiosyncratic factors that shape high achievers, in a resource that covers such topics as the secrets of software billionaires, why certain cultures are associated with better academic performance, and why The Beatles earned their fame.

Traces the parallel stories of 19th century art patron Charles Ephrussi and his unique collection of 264 miniature netsuke — Japanese ivory carvings — documenting Ephrussi's relationship with Marcel Proust and the impact of the Holocaust on his cosmopolitan family.

Award-winning chef David Chang has teamed with Momofuku cookbook co-writer Peter Meehan to create Lucky Peach, a new quarterly journal on food writing. The collaboration combines travelogue, essays, art and recipes.