A Point of View

Alain de Botton argues that in our mad desire to keep up with what's new, we have lost our ability to concentrate. We are made to feel, he says, that at any point, somewhere on the globe, something may occur to sweep away old certainties. He suggests that a period of fasting from our obsession with 'news' may be what's needed.

Alain de Botton argues that teachers of humanities in universities have only themselves to blame for many of the swingeing cuts they are facing. He says they have failed to explain to the government - and the public at large - why what they do really matters.

Joan Bakewell celebrates the art of diary writing by public figures and private individuals whose accounts of everyday life help shape our view of the past.

Joan Bakewell contrasts our empathy for fictional characters on stage and screen with a reported increased lack of sympathy for real people in need.