Author:Vivienne Parry,Vivienne Parry
How much exercise do we need? Is eight hours the right amount of sleep? What is the 'average' libido? When does 'normal weight' become 'overweight' or 'obese'? And how do doctors decide if what's going on inside someone's head is normal?
When it comes to our health, what constitutes 'normal'? Who decides, and where do they draw the line? Is 'normal' the same for everyone? And if you don't tick the box marked 'normal', do you need treatment or are you simply different? In these 34 episodes, science writer and broadcaster Vivienne Parry attempts to answer these questions, and work out what 'normal' means with regard to our bodies and minds.
Talking to doctors, patients and a wealth of medical and scientific experts, she considers issues ranging from mental health and physical wellbeing to fitness, child development, parenting and sex.
Over the course of eight series, Vivienne explores topics including cancer, blood pressure, giving birth, dyslexia, drinking, depression, ageing and autism. As she tries to build up a picture of what normality looks like, she discovers that in defining 'normal', we create 'abnormal' - and that in reality, 'normal' is anything but.
'Fascinating stuff' - The Guardian
Production credits
Presented by Vivienne Parry
Produced by Anna Buckley, Fiona Roberts, Katy Hickman, Erika Wright, Deborah Cohen, Fiona Hill, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Alison Hughes, Julian Siddle and Pamela Rutherford
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 22 August-12 September 2006 (Series 1), 14 November-12 December 2006 (Series 2), 31 July-21 August 2007 (Series 3), 18 September 2007 (The Sex Lives of Us: Sex), 4-25 March 2008 (Series 4), 30 September-21 October 2008 (Series 5), 24 February-17 March 2009 (Series 6), 2-23 March 2010 (Series 7), 19 July-10 August 2011 (Series 8)
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
Fascinating stuff
—— The GuardianClear and informative, this is a book I'll be recommending to my friends
—— Lisa SnowdonEmma's combination of research, knowledge and empathy helps make the confusing topic of perimenopause much easier to understand
—— Madeleine ShawThe secrets to a better brain. Goodwin unwraps the mystery of the brain - and how to give it a boost so that you can keep on enjoying life.
—— Top SanteA remarkable book, which turns cutting-edge science into simple strategies for a healthier life that all of us should use.
—— Phillip PolakoffI can't tell you how much I enjoyed reading the book. [The brain] is absolutely extraordinary.
—— Ella Mills, Deliciously EllaA great book, which explains, in plain English, the workings of the brain and how to keep it healthy.
—— Adrian ChilesPacked with the most relevant information on how to maximise your brain health. A great way to make better informed choices about your body and brain. It serves as a perfect reminder of how vital and connected this complex organ really is.
—— How it WorksThis is where storytelling meets brain health. A thoroughly enjoyable read by Dr. Goodwin, a founding member of our Global Council on Brain Health, with a gift for clever elucidations.
—— Sarah Lenz Lock, Executive Director of the Global Council on Brain HealthEssential tips to help keep your grey matter fighting fit.
—— Healthy For MenOne of the best accounts I have yet come across of the nature of biological science and discovery
—— Henry Marsh on The Beautiful CureLucid and entertaining … Much as Siddhartha Mukherjee did in his book The Gene, Davis expertly weaves together human stories and scientific endeavour
—— The Times on The Beautiful CureA terrific book by a consummate storyteller and scientific expert
—— Guardian on The Beautiful CureWow, what a debut! I was left wanting more - more of Ronke, Boo and Simi and more of Nikki's brilliant writing about food and friendship. Warm and fun, I loved watching the more sinister side to the story emerge. Fantastic!
A funny, tragic, piercing portrait of modern women and friendship written in glittering and discerning prose
—— EMMA STONEX, Author of THE LAMPLIGHTERSWAHALA delivers! Nikki's style is warm and comforting on one page and razor-sharp on the next. There's a twist folks, and it's not one I saw coming.
—— LIZZY DENT, author of THE SUMMER JOB and THE SET-UPSometimes it's not enough to just read a novel, you actually want to climb inside it. I adored hanging out with Ronke, Boo and Simi and I miss them already.
—— CLARE POOLEY, author of THE AUTHENTICITY PROJECTBold, juicy and real! WAHALA is tense and powerful, it's friendship at its best and its worst, and it's THE book to read this year!
—— LAUREN NORTH, author of SAFE AT HOMESharp, precise, unapologetic, modern. In one word, Exquisite!
—— Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström, author of IN EVERY MIRROR SHE'S BLACKDazzling and bursting with life. WAHALA is as joyous, complex and all-encompassing as female friendship itself. I loved it.
—— TAMMY COHEN, author of THE WEDDING PARTYLOVED Wahala. Funny and sharp - I completely fell in love with the characters. Definitely one to add to your list
—— LAURA MARSHALL, Author of FRIEND REQUESTDark, fresh, compelling - all about female friendship and with an outstanding cast of vibrant loveable (and not-so-loveable) characters
—— ELIZABETH KAY, Author of SEVEN LIESFast-paced and filled with witty dialogue, and the book explores the depth and complexity of friendships between women
—— INDEPENDENT: 10 BEST BOOKS BY BLACK AUTHORSWildly entertaining
—— THE BOOKSELLERI LOVED this absolute cracker of a book about the cuckoo in the next and a toxic female friendship. Highly recommended
—— LIZ NUGENT, author of LYING IN WAIT and OUR LITTLE CRUELTIESI loved hanging out with Ronke, Simi and Boo. A brilliant portrayal of how complicated friendships can sometimes be
—— NINA POTTELLThis story draws you in and spits you out, breathless. Echoes of Atwood's The Robber Bride but so its own thing. A treat.
—— KATE SAWYER, author of THE STRANDINGA heady mix of friendship, dark comedy and murder. WAHALA is razor-sharp
—— OK! MAGAZINEMay's nuanced exploration of race and gender makes this refreshing. This will leave readers intrigued to see what May does next
—— PUBLISHER'S WEEKLYA terrific, witty debut
—— I-NEWSWAHALA hooked me from page one and kept me enthralled till the (TWIST!) end. A riot of colour and noise, friendships, enemies, secrets, lies and soul food. Written with a lightness of touch. Insightful, clever, and honest. I will read anything and everything she writes
—— ERICKA WALLER, author of DOG DAYSThis gripping debut is a journey of friendship, revenge and finding your true self
—— STYLIST MAGAZINENikki May builds a propulsive reading experience as she slowly reveals Isobel's manipulations while keeping the reasons behind them hidden. Compelling character studies of each of the women don't shy away from the jealousies and judgements that sometimes make the line between friend and enemy razor thin...A fascinating look at the dark side of female friendship
—— KIRKUSA funny brilliant read
—— BELLAThis will satisfy hungry appetites and blow your thriller taste buds. Deliciously spicy
—— HEAT MAGAZINE, Read of the WeekNikki May's sharp and funny debut novel is a delight on many levels. WAHALA bursts with life from start to finish
—— DAILY EXPRESS, 'Books of 2022'May seamlessly weaves love, betrayal, self-reflection, and Nigerian food, clothing, and customs into this fast-paced debut...Fans of domestic suspense will revel in this tale of friendship, family, and forgiveness, set in the cultural milieu of Lagos
—— LIBRARY JOURNALSharp and darkly witty
—— CULTURE FLYA rapid and wildly hilarious page-turner
—— COUNTRY AND TOWN HOUSEA hotly tipped debut for 2022
—— DAILY EXPRESSWAHALA combines a frank and daring exploration of modern female friendship with a dark, punchy thriller
—— WOMAN AND HOMEFabulously fun
—— PRIMA MAGAZINEMay's skill for weaving together entertaining personal problems with a wistfulness for Nigerian food, customs and culture is unparalleled. WAHALA is hard to put down - an energetic, entertaining interrogation of a fundamentally flawed friendship
—— I-NEWSRefreshing and original. Exhilarating
—— SUNDAY TIMES, Best Popular Fiction of 2022Contemporary female friendship goes glam in this lively debut novel with remarkable depth
—— WASHINGTON POSTI would definitely recommend this book to friends. I already have!
—— Recommended Read, BBC Radio 2 Book ClubSharply observed ... sophisticated and culturally adept ... May is a masterful chronicler of Black upper-middle-class lie and ennui in Britain. WAHALA is both great fun and extremely smart in how it captures some of the central issues in modern city living: women's evolving roles in home and work, interracial relationships and multicultural identity, the current competition that runs through so many friendships and daily interactions and, most of all, how easily intimacy can morph into enmity
—— NPR.ORGWitty-wity-edge. Its humour is pin sharp
—— THE SHIFT, Sam Baker's Summer ReadingA dazzling, rich and efferverscent read. It's relevant and full of life. The killer edge was unexpectedly shocking. Just fantastic in every way
—— NB MAGAZINEA glorious read
—— STYLIST MAGAZINE, 'The Style List'Spicy as Aunty K's moin moin, satisfying as a plate of Ronke's jollof rice
—— SAGA MAGAZINEPacy, fun and gripping ... May wanted to write "a brown Sex and the City, or a brown Big Little Lies" - we reckon WAHALA could be just as big
—— EVENING STANDARD, Faces of 2022Like "Sex and the City" but set in London. And with mystery. And murder
—— COSMOPOLITANThe upshot is a funny, slightly murdery story about three women and their wahala, or "trouble" - their boyfriends, their professional aspirations, and their weaves
—— GLAMOUR MAGAZINEThe novel's strength lies in May's attention to her main character's identities. May's breezy prose is well-suited to these moments of casual intimacy, unfolding over drinks, at the hairdresser's or at the kitchen table, where all the best gossip takes place
—— NEW YORK TIMESSome of the smartest reading fun I've had all year
—— DAISY BUCHANAN