In 2014, English comedian, author and activist Russell Brand was selected to deliver The Reading Agency’s annual lecture. Ruminating on the transformative power of reading, Brand spoke of the importance of libraries for community and literacy for societal change. He brought a stack of his favorite books with him on stage, reading passages from some and extolling on how they enlightened his life. From fairytales and philosophy to anarchism and sustainability, find a list of books that inspire Russell Brand below.
The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth by Buckminster Fuller
The Sermon on the Mount by Emmet Fox
Biocentrism by MD Lanza
The Awakener by Sandy Stevenson (out of print)
Inner Gold by Robert A. Johnson
Kiss My Asbo by Alistair Fruish
The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge by Jeremy Narby
Austerity by Mark Blyth
History of the Russian Revolution by Leon Trotsky
The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer (also rec’d by Oprah Winfrey)
Anarchism: A Collection of Revolutionary Writings by Peter Kropotkin
The Male Agenda by Barry Durdant-Hollamby
The Breaking of the Shell by Barry Durdant-Hollamby
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari (also rec’d by Janelle Monáe & Tom Hanks)
Creating a Life Together: Practical Tools to Grow Ecovillages and Intentional Communities by Diane Leafe Christian
(via The Reading Agency; photo by Ken McKay)