S&S Pulls Book Agus Ahead of Publication Due to Plagiarism

Simon & Schuster has ceased distribution in all formats of The Book of Animal Secrets: Nature's Lessons for a Long and Happy Life by David B. Agus, originally slated for publication tomorrow, March 7, due to issues of plagiarism. A revised edition of the book will be released at a later date.

Both S&S and Agus issued statements addressing the cancelled publication.

Simon & Schuster statement:

Numerous issues regarding the text of The Book of Animal Secretsby David B. Agus, MD (Simon & Schuster, March 7) have been brought to the attention of the author and Simon & Schuster. We take these matters seriously, as does the author, and regret that these errors were included in the initial editions of the book. Dr. Agus has decided, with our full support, to recall the book, at his own expense, until a fully revised and corrected edition can be released, and which Dr. Agus is currently working on. We do not currently have a projected publication date for the new version of the book. As a result, Simon & Schuster has ceased distribution of all formats of the book and advised our retail and distribution partners to return copies of the book

David B. Agus statement:

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. Because I take any claims of plagiarism seriously, I am taking two immediate steps.  First, I have asked the publisher to halt the publication of the book in all formats.  Second, I will rewrite the passages in question with new language, will provide proper and full attribution, and when ready will announce a new publication date. These corrections will be included in all future printings and editions of the book. Writers should always be credited for their work, and I deeply regret these mistakes and the lack of rigor in finalizing the book.  This book contains important lessons, messages, and guidance about health that I wanted to convey to the readers. I do not want these mistakes to interfere with that effort. Once again, I apologize.