Fear of the unknown
Review: Paranoia: The 21st-Century Fear by Daniel Freeman & Jason FreemanParanoia, the authors intone, 'permeates our society, more than we've ever suspected,' writes Steven Poole
Bigfoot was here
Jad Adams enjoys three studies of the persistence of belief in the paranormal
Try to Remember
Review: Try to Remember by Paul R McHugh A riveting analysis of the American 'recovered memory' wars of the 1980s and 1990s
35,001 diet books, but do we really need any of them?
Surveys show that two out of five women diet most of the time as half of weight lost is regained in a year
Eat, drink and be merry: dieting’s new philosophy
A new book telling women that eating fats is good and a shot of vodka is allowed is an unsurprising hit
Alcohol abuse worst in north-west
Manchester, Salford and Liverpool top list for drink-related health problems
Messages on healthy eating and alcohol moderation not getting through
Despite measures to tackle rising obesity, public lack understanding of lifestyle choices, survey finds
Bred in the genes
Review: Blood Matters: A Journey Along the Genetic Frontier by Masha GessenHilary Rose finds hope and caution in a thoughtful survey of DNA-based medicine
From the edge
Review: Aids Sutra: Untold Stories from India, edited by Negar AkhaviAnita Sethi is moved to hear the voices of those afflicted by a modern scourge
‘Plain old untrendy troubles and emotions’
David Foster Wallace, who died last week, was the most brilliant American writer of his generation. In a speech, published here for the first time, he reflects on the difficulties of daily life and 'making it to 30, or maybe 50, without wanting to shoot yourself in the head'