Opium: Reality’s Dark Dream by Thomas Dormandy – review

A deft history of opium spans the personal and the political, writes John Gallagher

Susan Cain: ‘Society has a cultural bias towards extroverts’

Bestselling author Susan Cain tells Ian Tucker about on the cultural dominance of extroverts

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain – review

Susan Cain is worried that society is too keen to promote outgoing personalities. Miranda Sawyer and Sara Maitland take issue with her new book

Luck: What It Means and Why It Matters by Ed Smith – review

The ex-cricketer challenges the self-help evangelists who argue that we can always control our destiny. It's a fair knock, says Tim Lewis

Middle Age: A Natural History by David Bainbridge – review

Kathryn Hughes on why the years between 40 and 60 are the best, and evolutionary science agrees

Boredom: A Lively History by Peter Toohey – review

Helen Zaltzman is diverted by Peter Toohey's study of tedium and ennui

Investigating Sex: Surrealist Discussions, edited by José Pierre – review

The leading surrealists' discussions of the mechanics of love will infuriate and intrigue in equal measure, writes Zoe Strimpel

Why willpower matters – and how to get it

Willpower is a mental muscle that you can train. Those who do so are more likely to lead happy and successful lives

A Shed of One’s Own by Marcus Berkmann – review

Marcus Berkmann gets to the heart of the male midlife crisis with insight, humour and some worrying maths, writes William Leith

Maximum Willpower: How to master the new science of self-control, by Kelly McGonigal; Willpower: Rediscovering Our Greatest Strength, by Roy F Baumeister and John Tierney – review

Who can resist the temptations of our times? If you can you've got it made, say two books on the importance of willpower. By Carole Cadwalladr