Top 10 books about steroids
From Kathy Acker to Cordelia Fine, novelist Matthew Sperling introduces the best writing on a huge but barely acknowledged part of culture
Robin Ince’s top 10 books about the human condition
From Douglas Adams to Oliver Sacks, the standup comedian reveals some of the writers that have helped him try to work out what makes us tick
Nine Pints by Rose George review – all about blood
From leeches and quackery to scandal and superstition … an absorbing investigation into blood
I’m a Joke and So Are You by Robin Ince review – beyond a joke and into our brains
Comedian Robin Ince uses his profession as a springboard to an exploration of the human mind
Back to books: the joy of slow reading
Taking time over a book cuts stress, improves comprehension and promotes empathy
Top 10 books about psychiatry
Spanning unusual cruelty and extraordinary kindness, authors from Pat Barker to Janet Frame explore an unsettling branch of medicine
Out of my mind: Sarah Perry on writing under the influence of drugs
When a medical condition left her in agony, The Essex Serpent author was prescribed powerful opiates. They gave her terrifying visions - and a new insight into literary drug culture
Everyday Madness by Lisa Appignanesi review – an unsteady journey from grief to love
What happens to your sense of self when your partner dies? An engaging memoir of loss
Help Me! by Marianne Power review – can self-help books really change your life?
Power’s expanded blog on living each month according to a different manual floats over Bridget Jones and Fleabag territory
Best ‘brainy’ books of this decade
Writers and experts select their favourite book on physics, feminism, medicine, health, economics, psychology and more