All in the Mind (novel) All in the Mind (novel) All in the Mind is a 2008 novel by Alastair Campbell, the former Director of Communications and Strategy for the British Prime Minister Tony Blair. The book is Campbell's debut novel and draws heavily on his own experiences of depression and alcoholism. The story concerns a few days in the life of a psychiatrist, and a selection of his patients. Campbell has admitted that the story is partly autobiographical, although in an article in "The Times" on 30 October 2008 he wrote, '. . . though it is by me, it is not about me,
Alastair Campbell Alastair Campbell". It is also widely believed that the character of Malcolm Tucker from the BBC political satire comedy "The Thick of It" is loosely based on Campbell. Tucker is famous for his short fuse and use of very strong language. In an interview with Mark Kermode on BBC2's "The Culture Show", Campbell denied that the two are similar in any relevant way, but admitted to his liberal use of profanities in the workplace. The interview descended into argument with Campbell accusing the likes of Mark Kermode and the show's creator Armando Iannucci of being responsible for people's cynicism with