Winners and How They Succeed by Alastair Campbell – digested read

John Crace reduces a high-achievers’ handbook by the former Labour party spin doctor to a triumphant 700 words

How do we know chilli is hot and mint cool?

Rubbed on the skin, chilli peppers feel hot and mint leaves cool. Why? The answers might surprise you

Curvology by David Bainbridge review – the female body, dissected and confused

A study that sets out to identify the factors that influence eating disorders, body image and clothing choices collapses in a welter of contradictions

Lesser spotted: Melanie’s Marvelous Measles wiped out online

An anti-vaccination book for children has received more than 800 one-star reviews on Amazon

Tips from widows – a guide to getting through the grief

Jan Robinson collected the advice from a network of widows after her husband died suddenly. The result is a funny, comforting and therapeutic handbook for bereavement

Doctors Dissected review – an eloquent case for consistent GP care

Britain’s GPs face the questions under Jane Haynes and Martin Scurr’s wonderfully humane examination, writes Kate Kellaway

The Wellness Syndrome by Carl Cederström & André Spicer – exploitation with a smiley face

People who fail to look after their bodies are now demonised as lazy, feeble or weak-willed, writes Steven Poole

The Three Things That Will Change Your Destiny Today! by Paul McKenna – digested read

John Crace resolves to follow McKenna’s instructions for a happier life, based on the latest neuro-scientific findings in the Journal of Applied Wishful Thinking

The Offering by Grace McCleen – a vivid insight into mental illness

A psychiatric patient rebels against the men who play God – with moving results. By John Burnside

Reaching Down the Rabbit Hole review – fascinating tales about the brain

Neurologist Allan Ropper’s journeys into the brain illuminate the number of strange ways it can go wrong, says Andrew Anthony