The age of the individual must end – our world depends on it
The costs of a culture focused on an illusory idea of personal autonomy are making us ill and heating our planet. But a new age may be dawning
Richard Layard: ‘It’s in politicians’ self-interest to make policies for happiness’
The economist on the science of happiness – and how it can help us rethink the world
The Self Delusion by Tom Oliver review – how we are connected and why that matters
Forget the idea that humans are independent individuals. We need to grasp that we are part of ecosystems
Cuttin’ It review – tale of friendship and FGM still wields terrible power
Charlene James’s 2016 play about female genital mutilation combines a powerful social message with bursts of humour
Joy of pecs: Jessica Fostekew, the weightlifting comic shredding body fascism
When her trainer called muscly women ‘unfeminine’, the standup turned her outrage into a hilarious show full of sweat, barbells, chalk and childbirth
You’re Not Listening by Kate Murphy review – a modern epidemic of self-absorbed talk
Restaurants are noisy, social media connections are shallow, giving a TED talk is living the dream. What happened to conversation?
The Great Pretender by Susannah Cahalan review – psychiatry’s dubious past
Brilliant detective work reveals that a famous study of psychiatric hospitals was mostly fiction, but what are the implications?
Good Husbandry by Kristin Kimball review – a new life on a community farm
Sustainability and a love of the land are at the heart of a couple’s approach to farming. But grit and perseverance are essential
The Way We Eat Now by Bee Wilson review – strategies for eating in a world of change
The 21st-century diet consists of ‘unhealthy food, eaten in a hurry’. How did we enter this ‘food hell’?
With Prozac Nation, Elizabeth Wurtzel blew open the memoir as we know it
A daringly unvarnished account of desperate self-absorption, this startling debut redrew the boundaries of confessional writing