There are no bad books, just special ones says Robin Ince
As he prepares for his first ever arena tour, we catch up with rising rationalist star Tim Minchin
Evolutionary archaeologist Timothy Taylor on the outrageous fortune that made us the dominant ape
Laurie Taylor looks through a glass darkly
Francis Beckett finds out whether the English have lost their soul
From elegant modernism to Stalinist kitsch, the history of the Soviet Union’s journey is written all over its facades, finds Owen Hatherley
Is the desire to know other people’s secrets a natural instinct – or a vulgar vice? Sally Feldman lifts the lid on eavesdropping
Laurie Taylor quizzes Rebecca Goldstein, author of 36 Arguments for the Existence of God, on her novel approach to religion
Hugh Trevor-Roper mocked religion but he never underestimated it, nor did he succumb to the fashionable over-estimation of the Enlightenment, says Jonathan Rée
What can the godless learn from religious art? A lot, says Aaron Rosen