Word of the week: obesogen
If it ends with -ogen, it means something is being produced – in this case something that will make us dangerously overweight
Jen Sincero says she can make you a badass – has it worked for her millions of readers?
The self-help guru’s book You Are a Badass is a bestseller in the US and making waves in the UK. But can her brand of straight-talking positive thinking really help you escape your ‘sucky life’?
Michael Pollan: ‘I was a very reluctant psychonaut’
The bestselling author and activist has been exploring the use of psychedelic drugs in medical research for his book How to Change Your Mind. And yes, he had to try them for himself
Ade Adepitan: ‘I’d like to be the British Oprah’
Thebasketball player, TV presenter and author on pancakes, planning his wedding and living for holidays
Sleep Demons by Bill Hayes review – an insomniac’s memoir
Reissued with a new preface, this intimate and beautifully written book brings scientific research alive in a heartfelt and deeply personal narrative
Benjamin Zephaniah: ‘I don’t want to grow old alone’
The author and poet, 60, on why the best kung fu move is to run, how he’s going to try online dating and why it’s best not to touch his chocolate
‘Guaranteed to be devoid of excitement’: the book that wants to bore you to sleep
With its short chapters on railway gauges, Belgian politics and roundabouts, This Book Will Send You To Sleep promises to knock you out after a few pages. But tedium can prove addictive …
Dean Burnett: ‘Happiness shouldn’t be the default state in the human brain’
The neuroscientist and author of The Idiot Brain on the difficulty of trying to explain happiness and what he learned from Charlotte Church
Natural Causes by Barbara Ehrenreich review – wise words on real wellness
The author and activist’s sharp critique of what she calls an ‘epidemic of overdiagnosis’ is a joyous celebration of life
Tony Parsons: ‘The first half of my 20s was screaming madness’
The author, 64, talks about how yoga is intimidating for men, why everyone needs a personal trainer and how his 40s brought him more stability