Yakov and the Seven Thieves first two releases were "The English Roses" (September 2003), and "Mr. Peabody's Apples" (November 2003). Both debuted at number one on "The New York Times" Best Seller list. Joe D'Angelo from MTV News confirmed that the third book would be titled "Yakov and the Seven Thieves". Madonna was again inspired by a 300 year-old story by rabbi Baal Shem Tov that she had heard from her Kabbalah teacher, and wanted to share the "essence" of it. "We must never forget that hidden behind a large amount of darkness is a large amount of light," the singer wrote in the preface.
The Stone Roses often display no interest in promoting themselves, which was typified through reticent and capricious behaviour. Even with The Stone Roses' reformation in 2011, the group continued to provide few interviews. This approach left many journalists confused and sometimes angered. A typical example is the Spike Island press conference in 1990, which was attended by much of the world's music press. This ended in chaos when the gathered journalists began a small riot, believing the band to be deliberately upsetting them. As John Robb commented: "The Stone Roses would stonewall the journalist[s]. With shy guffaws, muttered asides, dispassionate staring, foot-shuffling silences