Practice doesn’t always make perfect – that’s why you’re not in the Olympics
Martha Gill
Don’t put your faith in the 10,000-hour rule – some athletes are born with talents the rest of us will never have
June 2022
Don’t Trust Your Gut by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz review – the problem with intuition
From relationships, to sport, to happiness – why data points, not feelings, are a better guide to what works
August 2021
Self and wellbeing
Can ‘smart thinking’ books really give you the edge?
Trust your gut, boost your memory, de-bias your decision making… can we train our brains to perform better?
May 2021
Dreaming of a better future? Ali Smith, Malcolm Gladwell and more on books to inspire change
As our thoughts turn to life after the pandemic, authors from this year’s Hay festival choose books that have inspired lasting change in them
April 2021
The Q&A
Malcolm Gladwell: ‘I deplore people who deny the extent of their privilege’
The author and journalist on the cold war, his Adam’s apple, and nearly being deported
November 2020
The bigger picture: should British museums sell to stay afloat?
As galleries auction off treasures to retain staff and plug cash gaps left by Covid, the art world is divided on ethics of disposal
August 2020
Now you're talking! The best audiobooks, chosen by writers
Memoirs, mysteries and coming-of-age stories are lifted by a powerful voice – that of a great actor, or the writer in full reveal. Here, 15 artists and critics pick their favourite audiobooks
July 2020
Rowling, Rushdie and Atwood warn against ‘intolerance’ in open letter
Harper’s letter asserts way to ‘defeat bad ideas is by exposure, argument, and persuasion’, but critics accuse authors of censorious mentality
October 2019
Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell review – fascinating study of why we misread those we don’t know
Gladwell’s typically digressive exploration of the assumptions we make when dealing with strangers is compelling
September 2019
Best culture of the 21st century
The 100 best books of the 21st century
Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell review – puzzled by banalities
Books that made me
Malcolm Gladwell: ‘A book that changed my life? Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd’
Autumn arts preview 2019
Malcolm Gladwell: ‘I’m just trying to get people to take psychology seriously’
August 2019
Art Pepper blew away the idea that practice makes perfect
Blow to 10,000-hour rule as study finds practice doesn't always make perfect
September 2018
Malcolm Gladwell meets Ben Fountain: 'So much of politics is absurd and dumb'
The two writers sat down in Brooklyn, New York, to talk about Fountain’s new book Beautiful Country Burn again and Trump, Hillary Clinton and the American psyche
August 2017
Observer running special
Why I run by Malcolm Gladwell, Denise Lewis, Sadiq Khan and more
Former political strategist Alastair Campbell says he gets his best ideas while running, DJ Charlie Dark uses it to bring communities together and chef Michel Roux Jr says it helps him deal with stress
January 2017
The week in radio: America Rewritten; FRDH; Geoff Lloyd with Annabel Port
From Marilynne Robinson to Richard Ford, six writers in search of Trump's America
December 2016
2016 in review
There's a search for a fifth meat – and 19 other things podcasts taught us in 2016
Whether it’s asking what happens when you watch Sex and the City 2 more than 50 times or which Oscar has won an Oscar, there’s no question a podcast somewhere hasn’t answered