From: [deleted]
Date: Sun, 9 Apr 1995 15:52:28 -0400
To: danampersanderic@andrew.cmu.edu
Subject: faux pas
In one of our circulation piles (stacks of papers and books circulated by my boss) I found the following packet.

item one:

a letter from the journal of the american chemical society (JACS) to [Dr. Pseud Onym] asking him to review a copy of a book. the book was written by [Pseud Onym]. That's right, they asked him to review his own book.

item two:

a very favorable review of this book, written by [Onym]. some quotes: "The reviewer finds the style and analogies easily understandable. I can only praise the author's emphasis on connections with specific areas of theoretical and computational chemistry; these are precisely the areas I find important."

item three:

a handwritten letter from JACS to [Onym], saying:

"Thanks for the review. enclosed is your complementary copy of the book."

item four:

another letter from JACS to [Onym], saying:

Never let it be said that chemists have no sense of humor. I had quite a chuckle today while editing your review. Happily, I am [the book editor of JACS] *new* assistant and, am not, therefore, the fool who asked you to review your own book.

Unfortunately, I am the idiot who responded, in a too timely fashion, to your october 23rd letter by mailing you our only copy of your book. If you will return mail it to me, I will find a reviewer for it. mea culpa.

item five:

an order form for the book sent to JACS from [Onym].

what a funny thing.

it made my day

-[deleted]


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