John & Paul: A Love Story in Songs

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes themes of death, loss, grief, and mental health.

The author of John & Paul, Ian Leslie is a British writer and speaker, most widely known for his books on human behavior. He has a background in psychology, which informs his publications, but began his career as a creative strategist at London and New York advertising agencies.

After pivoting into writing and speaking, he began to cover topics including culture, psychology, business, and technology. Leslie has established himself in the podcasting world, where he is best known as the co-host of the series Polarised, a podcast focusing on politics in contemporary society. He also gained popularity for his work on Before They Were Famous, a BBC radio comedy program. In addition, he occasionally consults with large companies to help facilitate workplace culture conversations and encourage communication.

Leslie’s writing has appeared in several publications, including The Guardian, The Economist, Financial Times, and The New Statesman. Leslie has authored three other full-length works of nonfiction (in addition to John & Paul), which include Born Liars: Why We Can’t Live Without Deceit (2011), Curious: The Desire to Know and Why Your Future Depends on It (2014), and Conflicted: Why Arguments Are Tearing Us Apart and How They Can Bring Us Together (2021).