With the number of names on acknowledgement pages appearing in counts of 50 and in some cases 100, an author’s thanks has never meant so much — or so little. The Wall Street Journal‘s Katherine Rosman and Robert J. Hughes report on the phenomenon of lengthy acknowledgements and their causes — including the First Book Syndrome, which gives some authors motivation to thank everyone they’ve ever known; the well-meaning, passive-aggressive acknowledgement of a person whose ideas were used without knowledge or permission; and the pre-emptive thanking of film producers, talk show hosts, and others potentially useful in a book’s promotion.

Thanks to BookSlut.com for the link.

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