Is this a new trend in book publishing....if so, it's a scam.

I bought a book today, cost me $24.95. Its a 'death row' book that has mugshots, details of crimes, last meals, final words of every man executed in a certain state since capital punishment was re-introduced in the US in the 70s.

So, the book's kind of interesting, and I read a good 80 pages or so, but upon getting home from a day away with family, I decided to peruse the internet link mentioned somewhere in the book - the state Dept.of Corrections website concerned.

The book is basically a word for word copy of prisoner records from the web. All the "author" (er, compiler) has actually done is convert web pages into a printed volume , given it a fancy dramatic title and cover illustration....and some sucker like myself has purchased it. As yet I haven't detected any original research, except minor links between inmates that could easily have been made using the ctrl-F feature.

I could have had the same information at my fingertips without paying a cent.

Maybe this is a business I should get into myself? Publishing 'public information' with fancy titles and cover illustrations for profit.....?:hmmm:



I've been scammed. I hate that.

What value in the talent of his 'author' does this publisher have?

You ought to take the compiler (or publisher) to court on charge of plagiarism.

Originally Posted by Octy

You ought to take the compiler (or publisher) to court on charge of plagiarism.

He hasn't plagiarised. The information is public record. State public records aren't copyrighted. All he did was turn a govt internet public record into a book with a dramatic cover.

(Oh, he wrote a foreward - must have taken him a good hour or so)

Originally Posted by boofhead

He hasn't plagiarised. The information is public record. State public records aren't copyrighted. All he did was turn a govt internet public record into a book with a dramatic cover.

(Oh, he wrote a foreward - must have taken him a good hour or so)

Yes... Well there's still got to be a law against charging money for public information.

Originally Posted by Octy

Yes... Well there's still got to be a law against charging money for public information.

I guess he's charged money for his foreward, his linking of the condemned with other condemned using Ctrl-F. So he could claim it is original work.

Watch this space/issue Octy.

Oh, to be honest I don't really care about the issue. It's rare enough these days that I buy a book first hand.

I've always assumed you would appreciate someone who would conduct first-time research, or have literary talent enough to write something original, but poo-poo the rest.

I guess I had the mistaken idea that publishers cared about language, or plot, or characterisation. Or when it's non-fiction: ORIGINALITY.

Originally Posted by boofhead

I've always assumed you would appreciate someone who would conduct first-time research, or have literary talent enough to write something original, but poo-poo the rest.

I guess I had the mistaken idea that publishers cared about language, or plot, or characterisation. Or when it's non-fiction: ORIGINALITY.

If it's a reputable publisher, writing to them and pointing out this stuff might persuade them to recompense you somewhat. If you're not sure if the publisher is reputable or not in its field, then you might want to do some research on the web. Newsgroups, being the oldest forums around, tends to have communities of academic experts who are rather severe on unacknowledged plagiarism, so you might want to look in some soc. groups. In my browsings of history newsgroups, I saw a fair few academics and writers there, who were rather helpful on the subject of reputable historians and writers. Find the equivalent newgroup(s) for this subject, explain your situation to them, and ask for advice.

Well, it's not new and it's not illegal but it's still a scam. Same as this guy:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...ot%E2%8A%82=AR

The question you'd have to be asking is: why didn't I think of that?