With a preface by whom?

Posted on September 7, 2005 by acb

Is there anyone who can cast light on this entry from the Library of Congress catalogue?

Author: Dawkins, Richard, 1941-
Title: The selfish gene / Richard Dawkins ; with a pref. by Anaïs nin.
Published: New York : Oxford University Press, 1978, c1976.
Description: xi, 224 p. ; 20 cm.
LC Call No.: QH437.D38 1978
Dewey No.: 591.5
ISBN: 0195200004
Notes: Bibliography: p. [217]-220.
Includes index.
Subjects: Genetics.
Evolution (Biology)
Control No.: 1304324

I have absolutely no idea why she might have been asked to write a preface. There is the well-known business of Robert Trivers’ Foreword. But Anais Nin? Has someone pranked the LIbrary of Congress?

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2 Responses to With a preface by whom?

  1. Michael Shook says:
    September 8, 2005 at 4:01 pm

    I’ve just started taking a cataloging class. I don’t yet know enough to know what might be going on, but I’ll ask my teacher next week.

  2. Tim says:
    September 12, 2005 at 6:54 pm

    My contact within the Library of Congress writes to me that he thinks it’s a prank “holdings information not available” is another tip. Such “mysterious” cataloging data gets reported quite often. Unfortunately that particular one is now going to be corrected.

    My favorite such stunt is the German Classical Encyclopedia article on football, “Apopoudobalia.”: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apopudobalia

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