The Kingdom of Infinite Space

Review: The Kingdom of Infinite Space by Raymond TallisThis wonderfully evocative series of meditations is witty and wise in equal measure, says PD Smith

Tales of ordinary madness

Norah Vincent, John O'Donoghue and Michael Greenberg all have three different views of mental illness that share a redemptive fortitude. By Blake Morrison

The shape we’re in

Review: Bodies by Susie OrbachFat is no longer simply a feminist issue - it's a commercial one too, says Hilary Mantel

Lessons on the body politic

Review: Bodies by Susie OrbachWilliam Leith salutes a timely and powerful polemic by Susie Orbach on the western obsession with achieving physical perfection

Drawing on experience

Mark Drinkwater on Living with a Black Dog, a picture book which offers practical and humorous tips on living with depression

On a mission to see the bright side

Review: The Optimist by Laurence ShorterA one-gag stand-up routine that places the rewards of a quick fix above the pleasures of deeper self-discovery, says Simon Garfield

Mad, Bad and Sad

Review: A History of Women and The Mind Doctors from 1800 to the Present by Lisa Appignanesi