Zig Ziglar and staying Up, Up, Up in a Down, Down, Down world

Oliver Burkeman: Britons may have grounds to sneer at positive-thinking gurus, but the late 'Master of Motivation' knew life was also hard work

Hallucinations by Oliver Sacks – review

Our minds play tricks on us far more often than you might think. In his new volume Oliver Sacks cites a host of vivid examples, writes Lisa Appignanesi

Lorna Byrne: ‘I believe in angels’ – interview

Irish mystic Lorna Byrne is not alone, she says. Not only is she in daily contact with the benign supernatural, her faith is shared by a third of Britons. Tim Adams talks to her

Best psychology books of 2012

From Adam Phillips to Steven Pinker, experts in several fields have pushed the boundaries in our understanding of the mind, writes Lisa Appignanesi

Spitting Blood: The History of Tuberculosis by Helen Bynum – review

A biography of the disease is also a call to arms. By Richard Horton

Sex: ‘Whatever you’re doing, double it’

Jon Henley catches up with two couples who tried regimes of consecutive sex, for 101 and 365 days respectively. Five years on, are they still, um, at it?

Lone Frank: Find out what makes you tick

Genetic tests can offer deep insights into your future health. But would you really want to know?

Gossip from the Forest by Sara Maitland – review

Part travelogue, part folklore, Sara Maitland's journey into 12 British forests is infectiously enjoyable, writes Olivia Laing

The Yellow World by Albert Espinosa – review

Albert Espinosa's initially beguiling account of his 10-year battle with cancer is spoilt by self-help hokum, says Michael Hogan

Bad Pharma by Ben Goldacre – review

Luisa Dillner praises a calmly outraged investigation into the drugs industry