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Vlad the Impaler, In Search of the Real Dracula
M.J. Trow

Available in the UK via Bookshop.org and Amazon.co.uk
Available in the US via Amazon.com

Recommended by:
Angelina Jolie – American actress, filmmaker and humanitarian
Angelina says: ‘This is my favourite book’

Latest project: Angelina Jolie’s latest project is the film “Couture” (released April 17, 2026), a meta-narrative drama set in Paris Fashion Week where she stars as a director facing breast cancer. She is also leading the sustainable fashion collective Atelier Jolie and has a busy 2026-2027 film slate, including the action thriller “Sunny” and the espionage film “The Initiative”

Humanitarian Work & Refugee Rights: Since 2001, Jolie has conducted over 60 field missions to countries including Cambodia, Pakistan, Syria, and Ecuador to support displaced people. She has advocated at the UN and other high-level forums for refugee rights

Book: Know Your Rights and Claim Them

Available in the UK via Bookshop.org and Amazon.co.uk
Available in the US via Amazon.com

Showa: A History of Japan
Shigeru Mizuki

Available in the UK via Bookshop.org and Amazon.co.uk
Available in the US via Amazon.com

Recommended by:
Takashi Murakami – Japanese contemporary artist
Takashi says: ‘His works are a formative influence on my psyche and artistic style. I love the artistic contrast in the book: he uses a realistic, detailed style for historical events (such as World War II) and a more cartoonish, humorous style for his personal story’

Latest project: Takashi Murakami has several active projects spanning fashion, apparel, and high-end art exhibitions. Ohana Hatake Full-Bloom: Launched on April 21, 2026, this project features a new, vibrant multicolor collection utilizing his signature flower motif

Louis Vuitton: His most famous collaboration involved redesigning the luxury brand’s monogram, placing his colorful designs on handbags and accessories for over a decade

Book: Murakami: Unfamiliar People—Swelling of Monsterized Human Ego (2023): Focuses on his recent work regarding digital anxiety and consumerism

Available in the UK via Bookshop.org and Amazon.co.uk
Available in the US via Amazon.com

The Art of War
Sun Tzu

Available in the UK via Bookshop.org and Amazon.co.uk
Available in the US via Amazon.com

Recommended by:
Scarlett Johansson – American actress
Scarlett says: ‘I’m interested in interest in strategy, discipline and philosophical texts’

Latest project: Scarlett Johansson is filming a new, untitled The Exorcist horror movie directed by Mike Flanagan in New York City. She stars alongside Sasha Calle and Chiwetel Ejiofor in this “radical new take” on the franchise, expected in theaters on March 12, 2027. She is also starring in the upcoming film Paper Tiger

AI Ethics and Digital Rights Advocacy: Johansson is a prominent voice in the fight against the misuse of artificial intelligence. She has publicly advocated for stricter regulations to protect artists’ voices and likenesses from being replicated by AI without consent

Audiobooks Narrated: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Book: “The Dive From Clausen’s Pier” by Ann Packer: While not about her, Johansson recorded the audio version of this novel, making it a key part of her professional contribution to literature

Available in the UK via Bookshop.org and Amazon.co.uk
Available in the US via Amazon.com

Guns, Germs and Steel
Jared Diamond

Available in the UK via Bookshop.org and Amazon.co.uk
Available in the US via Amazon.com

Recommended by:
Yuval Noah Harari – Israeli medievalist, military historian, public intellectual and popular science writer
Yuval says: ‘This book has been influential in shaping my historical thinking. A book of big questions and big answers’

Latest project: Public Discourse: As of early 2026, he is actively lecturing and participating in debates, such as at the World Economic Forum 2026, regarding the two major crises AI will create: an identity crisis (as AI outperforms human thinking) and an immigration/cultural disruption crisis

Meditation and Silence: Harari practices meditation for two hours daily and takes long, silent meditation retreats to “distance himself from his cognitive biases and the stories he tells himself”. He is a proponent of Vipassana meditation, which he has practiced for over two decades to “see reality more clearly” without the stories the mind constantly creates.

Book: Nexus

Available in the UK via Bookshop.org and Amazon.co.uk
Available in the US via Amazon.com

Sapiens
Yuval Noah Harari

Available in the UK via Bookshop.org and Amazon.co.uk
Available in the US via Amazon.com

Recommended by:
PewDiePie – Swedish YouTuber
PewDiePie: ‘It’s a fascinating way to understand humanity’

Latest project: PewDiePie’s (Felix Kjellberg) latest major project, documented in early 2026, involves building a high-end, $20,000 personal AI lab at his home in Japan. Instead of traditional gaming, he has focused on self-hosting and training large language models (LLMs)

Charity: Water Campaigns: PewDiePie has led multiple, highly successful campaigns for Charity: Water, raising over  in a single campaign to provide clean drinking water, exceeding his initial goal.

Book: This Book Loves You (2015): A parody of self-help books filled with simple, humorous, and ironic quotes designed for entertainment

Available in the UK via Bookshop.org and Amazon.co.uk
Available in the US via Amazon.com