According to Amazon, people are really disappointed with the quality of my new biography, “How I Came to Hear It.”
On the positive side, I didn’t write it. https://bit.ly/4i6NhGL
Consider these 1-Star reviews from “Verified Purchasers.”
“THIS IS TERRIBLE!! I’ve watched numerous episodes of Dirty Jobs and have heard Mike Rowe interviewed a few times. He sounds very intelligent, down to earth, and has an excellent, dry sense of humor. This book does not reflect any intelligence, coherence, or humor. The 4th chapter — the last one I could force myself to read — contains paragraphs on unrelated subjects that appear to have been put together at random for no particular reason. I would line my bird cage with this book, but I like parakeets too much to do that. I believe this book was self-published by Santana Simmons, because I can’t imagine anyone else would do it.”
And this…
“THIS IS NOT ABOUT MIKE ROWE! I purchased this book along with Mike Rowe’s “The Way I Heard It” thinking it would be different. WRONG! This is practically word-for-word the same book with a different title, BUT, it lacks all of the personal stuff and follow-on comments by Mike Rowe himself. I have no idea who Santana Simmons is and there are no liner notes in the book at all. I have to wonder if this book is even sanctioned by Mike Rowe or it’s merely copyright infringement. I do NOT recommend purchasing this book.”
Dear Verified Purchaser(s)
Mike Rowe here. I’m sorry to inform you that you’ve been scammed. “How I Came to Hear It,” by Santana Simmons, is not a biography about me. In fact, it’s not a biography at all. It’s just a collection of short mysteries 
plagiarized directly from a book I wrote several years ago and bundled together between two covers for the sole purpose of defrauding you and me. The material is in fact copywritten, but I can’t sue the author, Santana Simmons, because he/she/they/them probably doesn’t exist – at least, not by that name. The real culprit is an anonymous turd collecting money from Amazon customers who wrongly assume that a book listed for sale on Amazon’s website has undergone some kind of scrutiny, or that Amazon might take some steps to verify the authenticity of the products for sale on their site.
This particular turd was smart enough to not use my actual face on the cover, and clever enough to choose a title that reminds people of a book I actually wrote. They also wrote a lengthy description about me, my career, and my foundation, and posted it on the Buy Page. At a glance, someone familiar with me might very well glance at that page and assume everything there is legit. Alas, it is not.
When I get some free time, I’ll try to find the turd in question and sue him or her into a state of permanent bankruptcy. Till then, I’ll simply encourage you all – one more time – to be skeptical of what you buy on the Internet. And I’ll ask Amazon – one more time – to remove this fraudulent material from their site. (This same “author” has two other “biographies” currently for sale on Amazon, including one that concerns itself with the life and times of Kamala Harris. https://bit.ly/3FXqO1t I’m sure it’s destined for a Pulitzer.)
Anyway, caveat emptor!
Mike
PS Unlike “How I Came to Hear It,” and for the avoidance of doubt, I should mention that my book, “The Way I Heard It,” features an photo of me on the cover looking directly into the camera, as if to say, “Hi there. Here’s a collection of short mysteries I’ve written about some famous people who have always interested me, interspersed with lots of personal reflection about moments in my own life that rhyme with those of my biographical subjects.”
Conversely, the guy on the cover of “How I Came to Hear It” has his back to the camera, as if to say, “Please don’t include me in your lawsuit. I’m just a guy who got $20 to show of my skinny arms and hide my face.”
Also, for the avoidance of doubt, “The Way I Heard It” was a bestseller that garnered international critical acclaim, along with thousands of five-star reviews from satisfied customers who still ask me if they’ll be a sequel. The format of that book was entirely unique and required a lot of thought as to the assemblage and chronology of the elements therein. In fact, the business of combining a traditional memoir with a collection of biographical mysteries was so unique, it required a fair amount of three-dimensional thinking before I even put pen to paper, as evidenced by the early organizational flow chart that outlined my first attempt to show my publisher how it might be possible to intertwine biography and autobiography in a single book.
Conversely, The format of “How I Came to Hear It,” was inspired by a seasick greenhorn throwing up in his hands.
In other words, if you’re gonna buy a book with my name on it, get the one with my face is on it, too. The Way I Heard It, by Mike Rowe. Better than a birdcage liner!
Now in paperback for a mere pittance. https://bit.ly/3RdtJpo