In the city, I wake bolt upright in the small hours, convinced that intruders are marauding through our apartment despite Swiss bank-style security arrangements.

It's so much easier to count our disadvantages than tot up the mitigating circumstances that generally outweigh the despair.

Far too many girls' and women's romantic relationships are formed around a negation of their own worth and attributes rather than a confirmation of them.

Having a baby is a disaster for your career. I don't think there's any sympathy.

Seeing the world differently is one of the toughest incompatibilities to reconcile in a relationship.

Placing "amicable" and "separation" together creates an oxymoron - we don't usually decide to end a partnership until the very sight of our soon-to-be ex fills us with disgust, misery, agony or a combination of all three.

As a species, we tend to be doers, forever shaping and reshaping the world to better suit our purposes.