Just the day before the other day a student asked me to help them find a book, online if possible. Written by Peter T. O’Brien. This was a commentary on Hebrews. Such requests are always fun, especially when this is one of those students who is probably as smart, or smarter than me!
A quick search of Amazon found that I could buy a paper copy for upwards of $700. That immediately intrigued me. I looked for a full text of the book online. Not much available on reputable sites.
Then Google search kicked in.
A slight mention was made of a statement by the publisher – just a short blurb! So I went to the publisher’s site and found out that less than a decade after publishing the book (and a hefty volume it was!), the company ceased publication. The statement revealed that the author had plagiarized parts of the book – a hint of his apology is given. And the book is no longer available (and no other reprint publisher is looking to venture into that territory). Used book dealers are loving it! The lowest price was in the $200 dollar range. Higher ranges almost hit the $1,000 range.
Which makes obvious to us something that has been a whisper for years. If you really want publicity or to become famous – either die or do something scandalous.