Reading your way out of depression
Wayne Gooderham: I suspect you need a very individual prescription, but I know that Saul Bellow helped lead me out of a very dark time
Couples: The Truth by Kate Figes
In Couples, Kate Figes's prejudices get in the way of an otherwise fascinating study, says Geraldine Bedell
The Rough Guide to Sex by James McConnachie
It might not be suitable for public transport, but this sexual socio-history is well worth reading, says Zoe Strimpel
Smile or Die: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America by Barbara Ehrenreich
Lucy Ellmann stoutly supports a passionate refutation of the power of positive thinking
Manhood: the Rise and Fall of the Penis by Mels van Driel
A paean to the penis offers much unintentional hilarity, says Leo Benedictus
Blood Matters by Masha Gessen
A frank and powerful memoir about a mastectomy impresses Imogen Carter
Prescribed reading: medicine in literature
Chris Power: A new book prize turns a welcome spotlight on a rich and varied tradition of writing about health and medicine
Welcome to the bright new world of positive living
At one time, 'self-help' books were considered a little odd. Now they have moved into the mainstream and the new 'science of happiness' has become a cultural orthodoxy. Carole Cadwalladr asks if this vogue for positive psychology really helping anyone?
Retro guide books show modern women the lost wisdom of being a lady
Being cheap doesn't mean being unladylike, according to a new market in nostalgic self-help manuals
Pamela Stephenson writes ‘epic’ sex book
Pamela Stephenson, pyschologist and wife of Billy Connolly, has written what her publishers call the 'most comprehensive book on sex - ever'