Johann Hari: ‘I was afraid to dismantle the story about depression and anxiety’

The writer and author’s new book, Lost Connections, explores the problems with our understanding of mental health

Why Christmas is for everyone

An atheist’s Christmas celebrates hospitality and generosity – just like a Christian’s, says Julian Baggini

The 100 best nonfiction books: No 98 – The Anatomy of Melancholy by Robert Burton (1621)

This compelling and occasionally comic study of melancholy became cult reading in the 17th century and has inspired artists from Keats to Cy Twombly

Creation history: brilliant ideas build on the past

Creativity doesn’t come out of the blue, it starts by remodelling the past, say David Eagleman and Anthony Brandt

Your guide to a happy new year… by Dawn, Eddie and other celebrity self-help gurus

Famous faces, including many comedians with tales of recovery from their own traumas, are dispensing life lessons in the latest publishing trend

How architecture shapes our cities – and our lives

Communities which design their own buildings are more likely to be happy and healthy, says Lily Bernheimer

Prescribed reading: Five of the best books by doctors

As Adam Kay’s This Is Going to Hurt wins a readers’ choice award, we recommend five other author physicians. Please add to our notes

The spray’s the thing: how actors use perfumes to get into character

Playing Thatcher? Dab on Bluebell. Got a part in Hairspray? Reach for the Madame Rochas. We lift the lid on how actors use smells – from the finest fragrances to cheap tinned mackerel – to nail a role

How to Stay Alive by Bear Grylls – digested read

‘Nipping out for milk? Take a 12-inch knife, a defibrillator, three chicken tikka masalas and a solar-powered microwave oven’

Why Nancy Friday’s 1970s collection of women’s sexual fantasies still matters

The author of My Secret Garden – a shocking and deeply sexy work – has died, leaving a legacy to inspire younger generations