Very Odd Email

I've just recieved the weirdest email:

Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2006 16:08:29 -0400
From: Marquis Who's Who 
Reply-To: Marquis Who's Who

To: joefitz [at] thphys (dot) may {dot} ie 
Subject: Who's Who Nomination

DEAR DR. FITZSIMONS,

It is my pleasure to inform you that you are being considered for inclusion in
the upcoming 2007 (24th) Edition of WHO'S WHO IN THE WORLD(R), which is
scheduled for publication in November 2006.

Distributed globally, Marquis' WHO'S WHO IN THE WORLD is relied upon by business
leaders, journalists, academics, and other professionals for its accuracy and
currency of information. Additionally, it is found in the collections of many
of the world's leading libraries and corporations.

As the Marquis Who's Who editors begin assembling the 24th Edition of this
historic publication, the original WHO'S WHO IN THE WORLD continues to be
recognized internationally as the premier biographical data source of notable
living individuals from every significant field of endeavor.

To be considered for inclusion as a biographee in this prestigious publication,
you need only provide the requested information by completing the Biographical
Data Form at:
...cropped...Through this
link you will also find more information about the edition of WHO'S WHO IN THE
WORLD currently in print.

To be sure you are considered, please submit your biography by 5/18/06.

The information you provide will be evaluated according to the selection
standards Marquis Who's Who has developed over 100 years as the world's premier
biographical publisher. If your data passes our initial screening, we will
prepare your biography in Marquis Who's Who format and send you a
pre-publication proof for your verification and approval.

Inclusion in WHO'S WHO IN THE WORLD offers... -More than just a personal
achievement-being honored in a Marquis Who's Who publication offers prospective
business contacts an authoritative, full representation of your credentials and
accomplishments. -A historical archive of your achievements, recorded for
generations to refer to time and again. -Exclusive offers that are available
only to members of the Marquis Who's Who family.

I congratulate you on the achievements that have brought your name to the
attention of our editorial committee. We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Robert Docherty
Editorial Director

Strange, huh? The only place I can think of that they could have harvested my email address from (I'm assuming this was a bulk email) is from a PRA, since I only used that address when I was in Maynooth. Also they're calling me Dr. Fitzsimons, which indicates it was probably taken from the paper. Anyone else been getting emails like this? Have they sent the same email to everyone whos published in an aps journal, or any journal for that matter?

UPDATE

I've just been sent a link to this Forbes article (thanks Donald!) about Who's Who. It would seem that the books do in fact exist, but that its basically a vanity publication with virtually no entry barrier and one which sells it's biographee's (is this a real word?) addresses to direct mail companies. Here are a few choice wuotes from the article:

A call to the company's business office proves more fruitful. Who's Who, it turns out, does a pretty good business renting the names and addresses of its 250,000 Honored Biographees to direct mail marketers. People who are listed in Who's Who, Marquis assures marketers in its promotional literature, "are interested in many types of offers," including pitches for new credit cards, magazine subscriptions, catalogues, association memberships and "fundraising opportunities." The entire database can be rented on computer tape for about $22,000. Or, the woman on the phone says, the list can be broken down by profession, sex, political affiliation or religion. There are 17,600 self-identified Catholics in Who's Who, she explains by way of example, and 5,300 Jews.

(Emphasis mine)

Donald Ray Grubbs of Portland, Texas, is proof that persistence pays off. From 1973 to 1986, Donald Ray worked as a pipe fitter and welder for the Pipefitters Local 195 in Beaumont. Now an employee of Longview Inspection, a company that assesses the structural integrity of industrial sites, Grubbs has been appearing in various Who's Who publications for a decade or so.

I think that this last one really explains the invitation to be included:

Or say hello to Stephen Geiman, who teaches gym at Wilson Memorial High School in Fishersville, Virginia. From 1970 to 1972, Geiman, a graduate of the physical education program at Appalachian State University, was the school's driver's ed instructor. Or David Dolsen, an undertaker in Denver. Or Amy Fung, an accountant from Staten Island. And let's not forget Mary Morgan, a 55-year-old social worker in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.