An unimportant little note (but one day I might start collecting these under "things I learned"

[fpb]

If anyone other than a medical doctor, bishop, or minister signs (EDITED IN a book or an article as) "Dr." so and so, you may safely conclude that s/he is a jumped-up ignoramus, and probably a snake oil salesman. Of course, plenty of bishops and ministers - and the odd medical doctor - also qualify, but in their case that is independent of their being called "Dr.".

Comments

[dustthouart.livejournal.com]

My mother's coauthor got a bigger font and higher placement on the cover of their non-fiction book, even though my mother was the primary writer and researcher of the book, because the coauthor could put "Ph.D" after her name. (She has a doctorate in physics.) This was at the urging of their publisher.

I agree with elegant_bonfire, this is a cultural thing. People won't even pick the book up otherwise.