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<p>Dan Buettner spent years seeking out the happiest populations in the world to try to figure out what characteristics they shared. Tightly knit networks of family and friends were key, he found. In Mexico, for example, Buettner found a "family first" mentality that applied to both immediate and extended family helped Mexicans cope in otherwise stressful circumstances.</p>

How To 'Thrive': Short Commutes, More Happy Hours

Dan Buettner visited some of the happiest populations on Earth to figure out what makes them tick. After five years of study, he argues the real keys to happiness lie not in wealth or beauty, but in fundamental changes to the way we live. Buettner lays out his findings in his book Thrive.

British rockers Led Zeppelin pose in front of their private plane, dubbed "The Starship," in 1973.

On The Road To Rock Excess: Why The '60s Really Ended In 1973

In the new book What You Want Is in the Limo, author Michael Walker argues that a peak year in the careers of Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper and The Who also marked a cultural shift — from the peace, love and understanding of 1960-era music to '70s rock decadence.

Alinea's version of pheasant, served with shallot, cider gel and burning oak leaves.

Grant Achatz: The Chef Who Couldn't Taste

Two years after opening his award-winning Chicago restaurant Alinea, chef Grant Achatz was diagnosed with tongue cancer. He describes losing and regaining his taste in Life, on the Line. "My palate developed just as a newborn," Achatz says. "I don't recommend it, but I think it made me a better chef."

Jason and Lucie Amundsen on their farm in in Wrenshall, Minn.

'Locally Laid': A Humorous Memoir To Cure You Of Farming Fantasies

When Jason Amundsen told his wife he was quitting his job to raise pasture-raised eggs, she was less than amused. Readers, however, will chuckle at the story of their tragicomic path to success.

The 'Turkey' apricot, a hand-colored engraving after a drawing by Augusta Innes Withers (1792-1869), from the first volume of John Lindley's <em>Pomological Magazine</em> (1827-1828). The Romans dubbed the apricot the "precious one." Poets praised its beauty. The conquering Arabs took it to the Mideast, where the luxurious fruit was exploited in sugary confections.

'Moon Of The Faith:' A History Of The Apricot And Its Many Pleasures

The Romans dubbed it the "precious one." Poets praised its beauty. The conquering Arabs took it to the Mideast, where the luxurious fruit was exploited in sugary confections.

You might not notice their names on their book covers — and sometimes they're not named at all. But ghostwriters don't mind the anonymity.

So You Need A Celebrity Book. Who Ya Gonna Call? Ghostwriters

Nonfiction shelves are full of memoirs by people who can't actually write. They're brought to you by authors who suppress their own ego to write in a famous voice — in exchange for a hefty check.

Elizabeth Kolbert says the "taxicab yellow" Panamanian golden frog was nearly wiped out by a fungal disease. It's just one of the species affected by what scientists call the Sixth Extinction.

In The World's 'Sixth Extinction,' Are Humans The Asteroid?

Scientists think an asteroid killed the dinosaurs. In today's extinction, humans are the culprit.

Marie Mutsuki Mockett says the Japanese tradition of <em>Tōrō nagashi — </em>lighting floating paper lanterns in honor of loved ones — reminded her that she was not alone in her grief.

After Father's Death, A Writer Learns How 'The Japanese Say Goodbye'

Lost in a deep depression, Marie Mutsuki Mockett visited a temple owned by her mother's family near Fukushima. There, she found traditions and ways of thought that helped her work through her grief.

A Love Song To Family, New York In 'Sunlight'

Mark Helprin's sweeping midcentury novel, In Sunlight and In Shadow, describes a postwar New York in limbo. Helprin borrowed from his own experiences to write this tale of love and familial obligations. "It's all based on what I know and what I knew," he says.

Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and Detroit native Charlie LeDuff says that the city must forget the future and instead focus on the present. His new book is called <em>Detroit: An American Autopsy.</em>

An 'Autopsy' Of Detroit Finds Resilience In A Struggling City

To some, Detroit may be a symbol of urban decay; but to journalist Charlie LeDuff, it's home. In Detroit: An American Autopsy, he says the city's heart beats on. "We're still here trying to reconstruct the great thing we once had," he tells Fresh Air's Dave Davies.

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