Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast Lewis Wolpert (Faber, £8.99) Wolpert, a biologist, looks at why people believe things - from superstitions such as avoiding walking under ladders to angels and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He examines why our brains prefer quick decisions, are bad with numbers and see patterns where often there is only randomness. Many experiments have shown that humans are too often influenced by authority and prefer mystical explanations for random events. As he says, we are genetically programmed to accept religious beliefs not just because of this, but also because they give comfort and meaning to life.

You and Your Money: A Relationship for Life Alvin Hall (Hodder, £6.99) oA book about money for people who say they aren't interested in it. Hall, a TV money guru who fronted the BBC's Your Money Or Your Life, believes we can never live truly fulfilled lives unless we understand the roots of our attitude to money. It's aimed not just at people who get into debt, but also at those who are unable to enjoy life because they lack the insight to understand their own behaviour. As he says, it's an issue that can make or break marriages. Read this before you do your Christmas shopping, and slip it into the stockings of your teenage children.

Home Manju Kapur (Faber, £6.99) A vivid story of family life in today's India, where everyone has to compromise to adapt to modern life against a backdrop of traditional beliefs and customs. Unmarried second daughter Nisha is a problem for her mother - until she starts her own business.

Now I Know & The Toll Bridge Aidan Chambers (Directions, £6.99) These are the third and fourth in a sequence of six novels for teenagers. The Toll Bridge, inspired by the bridge at Eynsham, features school-leaver Jan, who takes a job which involves living in the octagonal house, collecting money for the owner. Then he meets two other teenagers, both at turning points in their lives.