Politics & Society

The child development expert Sue Palmer explains why modern life is making boys more sad, isolated and materialistic.

The lawyer who prosecuted Ariel Sharon discusses the brilliance of maverick political thinkers and says: "It takes at least a generation to establish democracy." Highlights work of philosopher Gilles Deleuze above all

The Labour MP on political diaries. A nugget from the day of the Norway debate, which brought down the Chamberlain government: ‘Sunny morning, went riding in Richmond Park. Strolled into the House for the Norway debate'

The 2006 Nobel Peace Prize-winner talks about his creation of micro-credit and walks us through his five books on poverty and how to eradicate it - includes Zola's Germinal and Dickens' A Tale Of Two Cities

The journalist and Labour peer, formerly adviser to British Prime Minister James Callaghan, explains his selection of five books about British Politics. Touches on subjects from climate change to the British constitution

The Journalism Professor at Columbia University discusses the future of the media. Argues that the availability of intelligently compiled, serious information is a prerequisite for democratic life

'If you go to Palermo and say, “I’m researching the Mafia,” they laugh a lot. First of all they laugh a lot, and then they kill you.'

The Sunday Telegraph’s chief foreign correspondent on the dangers of being a journalist in the Iraq war. "When a little of group of kids wandered up and said, 'Hello mister, how are you?', it was time to leave"

The editor-in-chief of Slate Group says what is charming about Bush is his wit and physicality, but he needs to cut people down and does it in a very effective and cruel way. He called Karl Rove "Turdblossom"

Edward Mortimer, the former Director of Communications to Kofi Annan talks about the need for reform, how when the Camp David talks broke down "the whole atmosphere in the organization became poison", and his boss. He picks the best five books on the United Nations.