MARK VERNONnbsp;Author and journalist. His books include The Meaning of Friendship (Palgrave Macmillan) as well as others on wellbeing, humanism, ancient Greek philosophy, and the philosophy of the everyday. His articles and reviews on religious, philosophical and ethical themes have appeared in many newspapers and magazines, including the Guardian , Evening Standard and TLS . He has a degree in Physics and Theology, and a PhD in Philosophy, regularly contributes to debates and festivals, and is an honorary research fellow at Birkbeck College, London. He is a keen blogger at www.markvernon.com .