The big idea: are memories fact or fiction?
Truth and illusion are woven together as we tell ourselves into being
Breaking Through Depression; The Balanced Brain – reviews
Last year, research cast doubt on the dominant ‘chemical imbalance’ theory of depression. Now two persuasive books by scientists Philip Gold and Camilla Nord offer very different causes of the illness – though both are optimistic about our future treatment of the ‘cancer of the self’
Four Ways of Thinking by David Sumpter review – safety in numbers?
A mathematician tries to make sense of the world through different lenses in this surprisingly original book
Alone by Daniel Schreiber review – me, myself and I
A moving insight into the joys and anguish of solitude – and the value of friendship
Marlena Spieler obituary
Writer of more than 70 cookbooks, whose love of the cuisines of Mexico and Italy kept her on a perpetual hunt for delicious meals
Under the Knife by Dr Liz O’Riordan review – cancer from both sides
A breast surgeon is diagnosed with the cancer in which she specialises in this frank memoir of illness and recovery
The Country of the Blind review – a penetrating study of the loss of sight
Andrew Leland’s thoughtful, beautifully expressed memoir about losing his eyesight invites us to rethink ideas about identity and independence
Don’t fret, neurotics – there are advantages to worrying
Negative mental chatter and anxious fantasies may not be all bad – they could bring benefits such as greater creativity and better health
‘You’ll have more empathy, you’ll have more fun’: the man who wants to transform our relationship with sleep
From snoring to shift work, Russell Foster explains the myths and misconceptions that get in the way of a well-rested society
Top 10 books about awakenings
These moments of precious fresh awareness can be found in authors from Oliver Sacks to Ottessa Moshfegh and Franz Kafka