Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain by David Eagleman – review
Neuroscientist David Eagleman gives a breathless account of advances in our understanding of the brain but offers little real food for thought, writes Alexander Linklater
Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer – review
Joshua Foer's account of his quest to become US memory champion is a dreary and pointless celebration of trivia, writes Peter Conrad
Why We Run: A Story of Obsession by Robin Harvie – review
Tim Lewis discovers why extreme distance runners really are a breed apart
Open thread: Novels that explore mental illness
In the week when Catherine Zeta Jones helped to open up a debate about mental health, which novels deal best with the issues raised by problems of the mind?
Memories are made of this: how to boost your mind
How on earth could anyone memorise all 626 lines of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner? Well, a technique that relies on mental images could be all that's needed, according to US memory champion Joshua Foer
Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer – review
Be prepared to be amazed by Joshua Foer's account of competitive memorisation
The phrase every publisher craves: word-of-mouth success
JK Rowling, Dan Brown and Lynne Truss have all sold millions with word-of-mouth successes, but what is their secret, asks Robert McCrum
Whiff of suffering: medical volume reveals brutality of early nose jobs
19th century book for sale at auction makes no mention of pain relief but describes how patients should be held down
When Will I Sleep Through the Night? An A-Z of Babyhood by Eleanor Birne – review
Wit and wisdom inform this lively account of the first year of motherhood. New mum Alice O'Keeffe approves