I have started wearing a leather thong to meetings – and find it oddly helpful

In my drag stage persona, I feel invincible. Now I have worked out how to channel a little of that into my off-stage self, writes drag performer, actor, screenwriter and author Amrou Al-Khadi

And Finally: Matters of Life and Death review – humility lessons from Henry Marsh

The ever candid neurosurgeon reflects on his own mortality, as well as the failings of his profession, in this enthralling third volume of memoirs

‘I just go into my head and enjoy it’: the people who can’t stop daydreaming

Psychiatrists may soon recognise ‘maladaptive daydreaming’ as a clinical disorder. But what is it, and how can it be treated?

And Finally by Henry Marsh review – from doctor to patient

Fearlessly frank and endearingly geeky reflections on life and death by a neurosurgeon diagnosed with cancer

George Ezra: End to End review – singer-songwriter’s charming cross-Britain hike

After months of isolation and anxious about touring again, Ezra and two friends walk the length of the UK meeting musicians in an uplifting documentary

Side Effects by David Haslam review – what do we want from healthcare?

The ex-chair of Nice considers the spiralling costs of medical treatment and asks how we might fix a creaking NHS

The big idea: why modern medicine can’t work without stories

Few of us see the same GP twice, but the doctor-patient relationship saves lives

Being cheerful on the outside can help you – and others – feel it on the inside

Cheerfulness can boost your energy levels, even in tough times – as philosophers and writers have long recognised, writes Donna Ferguson

My youngest brother is a famous rockstar. I used to worry for him, but now I just feel so proud

We both loved music growing up but when he sent me his demo CD I was afraid he would be mocked. Now Interpol is my favourite band – and we’re the best of friends

Michelle Obama announces second book: ‘a toolbox to stay centred’

The Light We Carry, to be published in November, compiles the former first lady’s best strategies for surviving in the face of a ‘rising tide of bigotry and intolerance’