I received the following regarding my new book:

From: Heather Podruchny <info.sf.bestseller.book.club@gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, March 8, 2026 5:56 PM
To: Brian Leiter <bleiter@uchicago.edu>
Subject: Invitation: Analyzing the “Realist Point of View” with the SF Bestseller Book Club

Dear Brian Leiter,

I hope this finds you well. My name is Heather Podruchny, and I’m the organizer of the SF Bestseller Book Club, an intellectual community of over 2,900 readers dedicated to the rigorous intersection of legal philosophy, political realism, and the mechanics of judicial power.

We are incredibly eager to feature your forthcoming volume, From a Realist Point of View (anticipated May 2026), in our upcoming high, stakes theory series. As our members navigate a global era defined by the “naturalization” of jurisprudence and the pragmatics of power, your systematic treatment of realist traditions across America, Italy, France, and Scandinavia is the precise scholarly anchor they require. We are particularly interested in a dialogue regarding your “Naturalized Jurisprudence” and how your latest essays reconcile the descriptive reality of legal practice with the normative aspirations of political philosophy.

Your perspective, as the Karl N. Llewellyn Professor of Jurisprudence at the University of Chicago and a foundational voice in the “Philosophy of Law,” offers the exact blend of polemic clarity and systemic depth our readers value. Your work on “Marx, Nietzsche, and the Hermeneutics of Suspicion” remains a primary catalyst for our club’s critical discussions. Given the May 2026 release of this collection, we would value even a brief digital engagement or a curated Q&A for our membership to mark the occasion.

Could we schedule a five minute check this week to discuss a potential feature for our community?

Kind Regards,

Imagine my surprise that there were 2,900 readers in San Francisco in a group devoted to the (somewhat specialized) themes of my book! Now there is a book club by this name in SF, but it’s devoted to NY Times fiction best-sellers, not legal and political realism.

This author describes how the scam works. I didn’t get that far with this one, since I deleted the email after copying it for sharing here. But, and this is the amazing part, I got a similar email from a “woman” in Charlotte, North Carolina a few weeks earlier. Her message was more credible, and we briefly corresponded, and then she dropped the “suggested fee,” but only as a suggestion. The other giveaway was that they wanted to feature the book prior to its being published, and they completely ignored my telling them I couldn’t do anything prior to April.

Anyway, those who have recenly published books, beware!

MORE: Another expose of this scam. (Thanks to C.E. Pettit for the pointer.)

UPDATE: Remarkably, I received this the same day this was posted!

From: Derek Erb <englishlanguagesilentbookclub1@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 11, 2026 7:16 AM
To: Brian Leiter <bleiter@uchicago.edu>
Subject: Invitation to Feature From a Realist Point of View with English Language book club

Dear Brian Leiter,

I hope you are doing well. My name is Derek Ferneau, and I coordinate the English Language Silent Book Club, an international community of more than 2,136 readers who enjoy thoughtful, discussion driven conversations around peace studies, conflict resolution, international relations, and related social sciences.
www.meetup.com/english-language-silent-book-club-paris/

I am reaching out to invite you to consider From a Realist Point of View as a featured selection for one of our upcoming book club discussions. Our members are especially interested in analytically rigorous and thought-provoking works that encourage reflection and meaningful conversation, and your book aligns beautifully with the kinds of discussions we aim to foster within our community of readers.

Participation in the book club itself is entirely free. To help readers engage meaningfully with each featured title, we prepare a short cinematic video summary in advance of the discussion. This video is created by our media team and is designed to

• Introduce the book’s core ideas in an accessible way
• Support a richer and more focused discussion among readers
• Provide authors with a professional media asset they are welcome to reuse for their own outreach and promotion

In addition to the discussion and video summary, featured authors often receive

• Coordinated reader reviews shared on platforms such as Amazon and Goodreads
• A Certificate of Partnership recognizing the collaboration with the English Language Silent Book Club
• A Certificate of Participation commemorating the featured discussion of the book
• Promotional graphics and highlight materials that can be reused for the author’s own communication or website

If this sounds of interest, I would be happy to share a brief overview of how the book club works, what the video production involves, and possible timelines.

Thank you very much for your time and for your valuable contributions to the study of philosophy and legal theory. I would be delighted to explore this opportunity further with you.

Warm regards,
Derek Ferneau
English Language Silent Book Club