Shooting Up: A History of Drugs in Warfare by Lukasz Kamienski review – what turns soldiers into monsters?
Drunk Romans and drugged Americans: the chemical arsenal used to dull the horror of war
A Walk in the Park: The Life and Times of a People’s Institution by Travis Elborough – review
There’s plenty to look at in this enjoyable stroll through the history of our public parks, despite a few omissions
Gut by Giulia Endere review – a celebration of our most under-rated organ
An amusing and delightfully frank primer on our intestines crammed with amazing biological facts and anecdotes from the scatological limits of research
The Voices Within by Charles Fernyhough review – why do we talk to ourselves?
We experience some kind of inner speech for at least a quarter of our waking lives. This helps some, while others set out to reduce the chatter. And how does it relate to God?
Expecting by Chitra Ramaswamy review – the strangeness of the pregnant body
This beautifully rendered account by a gay woman updates the standard narrative of pregnancy and lifts it to another sphere, full of poetic language and references from Voltaire to Almodóvar
Metamorphosis: How and Why We Change by Polly Morland – review
Most of us are wary of change, but it can be the making of us, according to this persuasive study
Sally Brampton obituary
Women’s magazine editor and author whose memoir Shoot the Damn Dog recounted her experience of depression
Dietland by Sarai Walker review – fat is still a feminist issue
A bold debut about female self-loathing and the representation of women in the media
The Path by Michael Puett & Christine Gross-Loh – how to turn your life around
Forget navel-gazing – the authors of this bestselling self-help book claim that ancient Chinese wisdom offers an easy way to the good life. But does it say anything new?
The Voices Within: The History and Science of How We Talk to Ourselves by Charles Fernyhough – review
Hearing voices can be as much a sign of creativity as madness, according to an intriguing new psychological study