Diary: The green grass of home
Brenda Maddox celebrates the distinguished life of her husband in a tent in Wales, with Richard Dawkins and Dylan Thomas
Mind, Body & Life
Highland fling
Sally Feldman finally discovers what lies beneath the kilt
Sex appeal
America’s Religious Right has devised a seductive new recruitment strategy, reveals Dagmar Herzog
Torch bearers
Politics, religion and money may be wrestling to control the Olympics. But, argues Paul Sims, they’ll never be a match for the sheer drama
The Unthinkable by Amanda Ripley
Helene Joffe prepares for the worst
Diary: Give us a hug
Peyvand Khorsandi pays a visit to Amma – India's hugging saint
Craft works: Laurie Taylor interviews Richard Sennett
Richard Sennett tells Laurie Taylor why he believes in patience, practicality and a job well done
Diary
Forget about the stars, the Wise Men and the Baby Jesus. Christmas is all about family, says Carrie Quinlan
Check republics
The game of chess has its roots in rationalism. And, like the Enlightenment itself, argues Sally Feldman, it’s a force for both liberation and tyranny
Analyse this!
In a field so riven by schism as psychoanalysis, a new book about Freud has to be greeted with some scepticism, says Joseph Schwartz