You're about to listen to a BBC podcast, but this is about something else you might enjoy.

My name's Katie Lecky and I'm an assistant commissioner for on demand music on BBC Sounds.

The BBC has an incredible musical heritage and culture and as a music lover, I love being part of that.

With music on sounds, we offer collections and mixes for everything, from workouts to

helping you nod off, boogie in your kitchen, or even just a moment of calm. And they're all

put together by people who know their stuff. So if you want some expertly curated music in your

life, check out BBC Sounds. Just before this BBC podcast gets underway, here's something you may not know.

My name's Linda Davies, and I commissioned podcasts for BBC Sounds.

As you'd expect, at the BBC we make podcasts of the very highest quality,

featuring the most knowledgeable experts and genuinely engaging voices.

What you may not know is that the BBC makes podcasts about all kinds of things, like pop stars, poltergeists, cricket, and

conspiracy theories. And that's just a few examples. If you'd like to discover something a little

bit unexpected, find your next podcast over at BBC Sounds.

This is a download from the BBC. To find out more, visit BBC.com.ukuk slash radio four.

Hello on today's programme with over 10,000 self-help books published in the last three months alone.

We ask who's buying them and what they can do for us.

Also in the programme, we joined Jeremy Dyson and others at an evening to celebrate the supernatural wonder of cult writer Robert Aikman.

And Agent Extraordinaire Peter Strauss on the book you must read from a writer who isn't on his books.

How magnanimous.

But first, we find ourselves amidst the hellish brutality of the Thai-Burmese railway.

The year is 1943, and for this weary band of Australian POWs, suffering at the hands of the Japanese,

deprivation, disease and death haunt their every move.

...