Jan. 27, 2026 ̶ ̶ ̶ The history of plagiarism is far longer — and far stranger — than most people realize. That history is on full display in the latest book by Dr. Roger Kreuz, associatedean for the College of ArtsandSciences and professor of psychology,“Strikingly Similar.”The booktraces the phenomenon across centuries,culturesand professions to understand why people copy the work of others and how society has responded when they do.
“As a professor, I’ve had to deal with instances of student plagiarism,” Kreuz explained. “But I’ve also been interested in the reasons for why people plagiarize for a long time.”
“Strikingly Similar” builds on Kreuz’s 2023 book “Linguistic Fingerprints,” which explores how writing style can reveal a person’s identity. That earlier work led him into the world of authorship disputes and plagiarism investigations.
“The more I read about this, the more fascinated I became,” he said. “No one had written a book-length treatment of the history and psychology of plagiarism, and so that became my next project.”
The psychology professor spent 10 months collecting examples of plagiarism, ultimately assembling a database of more than 4,500 documented cases. From there, he drafted the book over the course of a year, finishing in July 2024.
His findings challenged many assumptions about who plagiarizes and why. As he puts it, plagiarism is not confined to the stereotypical panicked student up against a deadline. Kreuz’s research showed that individuals elected to high public office, best-selling writers and even Nobel and Pulitzer Prize recipients have been implicated, even if the plagiarism was accidental.
“Inadvertent or unconscious plagiarism is a real phenomenon and not just an excuse,” Kreuz said. “In fact, it’s fairly easy to forget the source of an idea that you believe is original. Even if it’s inadvertent, plagiarists can be sued for violating copyright, although judges and juries have been remarkably inconsistent in determining whether someone is guilty of plagiarism, and how much they have to pay in damages.”
Although the book has only recently been released, the book has drawn international attention. Published by Cambridge University Press, the book has earned reviews in “Publishers Weekly,” “The Times of London” and “The London Standard,” among others.
“I certainly want to thank Emily Watton, my editor at Cambridge University Press,” said Kreuz. “It was her faith in my project that made the book a reality. I’m also very grateful to a handful of beta readers who provided me with feedback on early drafts. They weren’t shy about telling me where they thought that improvements could be made.”
“Strikingly Similar” marks Kreuz’s seventh book since 2015, and after such a prolific stretch, he says he “may take a breather from longform writing works for a bit.” With this latest work, Kreuz adds a significant contribution to both psychological scholarship and public understanding of plagiarism — an issue that remains as relevant today as ever. The book’s blend of history, research and storytelling offers readers a deeper look at how originality is defined, defended and sometimes disputed.
“It’s really a book intended for a general audience, and not just academics or psychologists. It’s as much a cultural history of plagiarism as it is a psychological treatment,” Kreuz said.
“Strikingly Similar” can be purchased online, including but not limited to Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Walmart.
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