Five self-help books that want to change your life
It's January, so the shops are full of new diet, exercise and self-help books. We sample five of them, from a polemic against sugar to a harrowing account of gastric bypass surgery
Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes by Maria Konnikova – review
Emulating Conan-Doyle's fictional sleuth requires more than a deerstalker and a predilection for the violin – attention to detail and a questioning, methodical approach are vital, writes Sam Leith
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