The book somebody else wrote that lists me as its author turns out to be full of plagiarism

I think this might be one of those “irony” thingees:

A highly anticipated new book by a University of Southern California oncologist has been suspended from release after the Los Angeles Times uncovered dozens of instances of plagiarism in it. The Book of Animal Secrets: Nature’s Lessons for a Long and Happy Life by Dr. David Agus was all set for release March 7 after a buzzy press tour that included stops on CBS News and The Howard Stern Show, as well as a spot atop Amazon’s best selling books about animals list. However, the Times investigation revealed at least 95 instances of plagiarization in the book, some word-for-word. Sources the book was accused of stripping info from range from The New York Times to a column in an Indiana newspaper, and even a 2016 blog post titled “The Ten Craziest Facts You Should Know About A Giraffe.” Both Agus and Simon & Schuster released statements announcing sales of the book have been suspended Monday, days after the Times reached out with its findings. The publishing company said Agus decided to pull the book, and he has their full support. “I was recently made aware that in writing The Book of Animal Secrets we relied upon passages from various sources without attribution, and that we used other authors’ words. I want to sincerely apologize to the scientists and writers whose work or words were used or not fully attributed,” the doctor said in a statement. “I take any claims of plagiarism seriously.”

Ghostwriting must be one of the world’s oldest professions — I doubt Hammurabi actually wrote his code himself, for example — but I’ve always considered the practice dubious on various levels. It seems even more so today when, as a recent browse past the shelves of the local Barnes & Noble revealed, it seems every other book has been “written” by some celebrity who is no more capable of actually composing a book than I am of rebuilding the engine of a 1969 Chevelle from scratch, like a character in a Springsteen song.

Anyway, this “book” sounds like super hacky pseudo-medicine, so I googled Doctor Professor David Agus, and found this:

The Checkup with Dr. David Agus

A-list celebrities share their personal health issues in a series of intimate conversations with Dr. David Agus, a world-renowned medical authority and cancer specialist. Each episode features a bold-faced name speaking about their personal and frightening connections to significant health issues and their triumphs: Ashton Kutcher’s near-death experience; Amy Schumer’s struggle with chronic pain and infertility; Nick Cannon’s resilience over personal tragedy; Howie Mandel’s battle with severe OCD; Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin’s secrets to longevity and aging gracefully; and Oprah and Maria Shriver’s unflinching look at women’s health. With their deeply honest and thoughtful conversations serving as the narrative spine of the show, Dr. Agus will take viewers on an eye-opening and inspirational journey that sheds new light on the most important medical topics from today’s headlines. Full of personal revelations, cutting-edge breakthroughs, game-changing technologies and accessible take-aways, The Checkup with Dr. David Agus will not only change lives, it will save lives.

You can see all the stars as you walk down Hollywood Boulevard
Some that you recognize, some that you’ve hardly even heard of
People who worked and suffered and struggled for fame
Some who succeeded and some who suffered in vain

Also too:

Dr. David B. Agus is one of the world’s leading doctors and pioneering biomedical researchers. He is the founding director and CEO of the Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine and a professor of medicine and engineering at the University of Southern California.  A medical oncologist, Dr. Agus leads a multidisciplinary team of researchers dedicated to the development and use of technologies to guide doctors in making health-care decisions tailored to individual needs.  An international leader in global health and approaches for personalized healthcare, Dr. Agus serves in leadership roles at the World Economic Forum and is co-chair of the Global Health Security Consortium. He is also a CBS News contributor. Dr. Agus’ three books The End of Illness, A Short Guide to a Long Life, and The Lucky Years: How to Thrive in the Brave New World of Health, are all New York Times and international bestsellers, with a new book, The Book of Animal Secrets: Nature’s Lessons for a Long and Happy Life, set for release in March 2023.  He is a 2017 recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

He lives in California with his wife, two children, and their dog, Georgie.

Well as Sam Goldwyn said there’s no such thing as bad publicity, so . . . Hey do you think this whole thing could be some sort of meta-publicity effort? Sort of like The Producers or the 2016 Donald Trump presidential campaign?

That would make a cool Netflix series. Let’s workshop it.