Al-Qaeda head-honcho Osama bin Laden has a habit of plugging a book or two in each of his broadcasts. Frequently, books receiving such an endorsement become overnight best-sellers, to the delight of their authors and publishers. Perhaps most disturbingly, Osama's recommendations are more often than not, pretty respectable works.
A selection :
Frequently quoted, alongside admonishments to the West to heed its message.
OBL : "There is no defect in this solution other than preventing the flow of hundreds of billions to the influential people and war merchants in America, who supported Bush's election campaign with billions of dollars. Hence, we can understand the insistence of Bush and his gang to continue the war. If you have a genuine will to achieve security and peace, we have already answered you. If Bush declines but to continue lying and practicing injustice {against us}, it is useful for you to read the book "The Rogue State."1
Blum : "I knew it would help the book's sales and I was not bothered by who it was coming from. If he shares with me a deep dislike for the certain aspects of U.S. foreign policy, then I'm not going to spurn any endorsement of the book by him. I think it's good that he shares those views and I'm not turned off by that."
OBL : “This war was entirely unnecessary, as testified to by your own reports. And among the most capable of those from your own side who speak to you on this topic and on the manufacturing of public opinion is Noam Chomsky, who spoke sober words of advice prior to the war, but the leader of Texas doesn’t like those who give advice”.2
OBL : "And if you would like to get to know some of the reasons for your losing of your war against us, then read the book of Michael Scheuer in this regard."2
- The Final Fall : An Essay on the Decomposition of the Soviet Sphere and After the Empire : The Breakdown of American Order by Emmanuel Todd
OBL : "And before concluding, I tell you: there has been an increase in the thinkers who study events and happenings, and on the basis of their study, they have declared the approach of the collapse of the American Empire. Among them is the European thinker who anticipated the fall of the Soviet Union, which indeed fell. And it would benefit you to read what he wrote about what comes after the empire in regard to the United States of America."2
1 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4628932.stm
2 http://counterterrorismblog.org/2007/09/obl_transcript.php#025752