‘He used his story as a weapon’: the inspiring tale of activist Ady Barkan

The documentary Not Going Quietly traces the paradox of the lawyer’s life with ALS: the weaker he gets, the louder his voice as an advocate for healthcare reform becomes

The secret of happiness? Be more like Ted Lasso

I love the comedy show about a goodhearted football manager so much I decided to emulate him. Then Private Eye, the satirical news magazine, took a swipe at me

Tonight’s TV: Champion sprinter Jonnie Peacock mentors young Paralympic hopefuls

As we prepare for Tokyo’s Paralympics, the athlete puts some youngsters through their paces. Plus: trouble in the tapir enclosure at the zoo … Here’s what to watch tonight

I used to think life was too short to read the same book twice. Not any more

I’m planning to reread the books I once loved, hoping they’ll reinvigorate me at a time when all our batteries are flashing low

Through the Looking Glasses by Travis Elborough review – the spectacular life of spectacles

From Henry VIII on his charger to the sex symbol Michael Caine, this close-up history of glasses illuminates their special kind of cool

Spike by Jeremy Farrar and Anjana Ahuja; and Vaxxers by Sarah Gilbert and Catherine Green – review

Two urgent and fascinating accounts from the frontlines show how scientists succeeded, and failed, at saving us from Covid-19

A moment that changed me: meeting the rescue dog who comforted me through unfathomable loss

When I first held my dog Veela in my arms, I was grappling with my mother’s dementia, which was followed much too soon by her death. The teachings of my little red dog helped me survive

This Is Your Mind on Plants by Michael Pollan review – the trip of a lifetime

This fascinating insight into our relationship with mind-altering plants weaves personal experimentation with cultural history

Hello, Stranger by Will Buckingham review – how we find connection in a disconnected world

An elegant and moving exploration of what it means to connect with strangers turns into an elegy for a much-missed way of life

Head First by Alastair Santhouse review – a medical memoir with elegance and integrity

In a passionate blend of anecdote and evidence, a consultant psychiatrist shows how the mind and the body are irrevocably connected, despite medicine’s desire to separate and specialise