Lewis Perdue

Last updated
Lewis Perdue
LewisPerdue.jpg
Perdue in 2009
Born (1949-05-01) May 1, 1949 (age 75)
Greenwood, Mississippi, U.S.
OccupationAuthor
Education Cornell University
SpouseMegan Perdue
Children2

Lewis Perdue (born May 1, 1949) is the author of 20 published books including Daughter of God, and The Da Vinci Legacy. Perdue was sued by Random House in 2003 when he charged that Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code plagiarized those two books. Random House won the lawsuit but lost their demand to have Perdue pay their legal fees. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Life

Perdue was born in the Mississippi Delta in 1949. He was expelled from the University of Mississippi in 1967 for leading a civil rights march. He graduated from Corning Community College in 1970 with an associate degree, before studying physics and biology at Cornell University, graduating with a bachelor's degree and honors in 1972. [4] While at Cornell, he worked as a full-time reporter for The Ithaca Journal . [5]

Perdue currently lives in Sonoma, California, with his wife, Megan. They have two children.

Career

Perdue has worked as a journalist for several publications, including Washingtonian Magazine , Computer Currents , TheStreet , [6] and Barron's . In 1976, Perdue helped investigative journalist Jack Anderson break the Koreagate case as a freelance reporter for the Washington Post . [7] He wrote the first book on how to upgrade IBM PCs, Supercharging Your PC: A Do-It Yourself Guide to Expanding the PC (1987). [8]

In 1985, Perdue was named a vice president and managing director in San Jose for Manning Selvage & Lee. [9] He founded the publication Wine Business Monthly in 1991, [10] and has written two nonfiction books on the topic of wine: The French Paradox and Beyond: Live Longer with Wine and the Mediterranean Lifestyle (1992) and The Wrath of Grapes: The Coming Wine Industry Shakeout And How To Take Advantage Of It (1999). In 2008, Perdue founded Wine Industry Insight, a digital wine publication. [11] In March 2023, Perdue announced that he had sold Wine Industry Insight to technology entrepreneur and winemaker Kevin Merritt. [12]

In 2000, Perdue co-founded PocketPass, [13] a dual-use telephone and Internet payment system. [14]

Perdue is chairman of the nonprofit Center for Research on Environmental Chemicals in Humans. [15] The center is currently exploring a potential causal relationship between human serum levels of BPA and High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hsCRP) through double blind clinical studies. [16]

Perdue founded Revolution Algorithms, which is attempting to improve wine rating, review, and recommendation systems, [17] in 2018.

Plagiarism case

On April 11, 2005, novelist Lewis Perdue sued Brown and his publisher Random House for plagiarizing his novels The Da Vinci Legacy (1983) and Daughter of God (1999), claiming "there are far too many parallels between my books and The Da Vinci Code for it to be an accident." The director of Britain's Forensic Linguistics Institute, John Olsson, [18] analyzed both books, and declared the "evidence of infringement is overwhelming" [19] and "This is the most blatant example of in-your-face plagiarism I've ever seen... There are literally hundreds of parallels." [20] However, Perdue was not allowed to introduce Olsson's statement at the Appeals Court hearing.

On August 4, 2005, District Judge George B. Daniels granted a motion for summary judgment and dismissed the suit, ruling that "a reasonable average lay observer would not conclude that The Da Vinci Code is substantially similar to Daughter of God. Any slightly similar elements are on the level of generalized or otherwise unprotectable ideas." He affirmed that The Da Vinci Code does not infringe upon copyrights held by Perdue. [21]

Works

Fiction

As Ian Ludlow, co-author with Lee Goldberg

  • .357: Vigilante (1985; republished as Judgment in 2011)
  • Make Them Pay (1985; republished as Adjourned in 2009)
  • White Wash (1985; republished as Payback in 2011) [23]

Nonfiction

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Codex Leicester</span> Compiled famous scientific writings by Leonardo Da Vinci

The Codex Leicester is a collection of scientific writings by Leonardo da Vinci. The codex is named after Thomas Coke, Earl of Leicester, who purchased it in 1717. The codex provides an insight into the mind of the Renaissance artist, scientist and thinker, as well as an exceptional illustration of the link between art and science and the creativity of the scientific process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Brown</span> American author (born 1964)

Daniel Gerhard Brown is an American author best known for his thriller novels, including the Robert Langdon novels Angels & Demons (2000), The Da Vinci Code (2003), The Lost Symbol (2009), Inferno (2013), and Origin (2017). His novels are treasure hunts that usually take place over a period of 24 hours. They feature recurring themes of cryptography, art, and conspiracy theories. His books have been translated into 57 languages and, as of 2012, have sold over 200 million copies. Three of them, Angels & Demons, The Da Vinci Code, and Inferno, have been adapted into films, while one of them, The Lost Symbol, was adapted into a television show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanity (singer)</span> Canadian singer, model and actress (1959–2016)

Denise Katherine Matthews, known professionally as Vanity, was a Canadian singer, model, and actress. Known for her image as a sex symbol in the 1980s, she became an evangelist and renounced her career as Vanity in the 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gold key</span>

In fiction, a gold key is a special token granting access to and control of a mythical or ultra-private or secret bank account or vault, such as a Swiss bank account. In reality, the key is often a code word and accounts are not completely anonymous. A real "gold key" need not be made of or colored gold, or even a key. If it is a key it may not fit any lock; the keys are important as authentication tokens, not always as literal keys. In the case of the GoldKey Security Token, a USB device developed by a team of developers, the token acts as a physical "key" to electronic data.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seth Mnookin</span> American writer and journalist

Seth Mnookin is an American writer and journalist.

<i>The Da Vinci Code</i> (film) 2006 American mystery thriller film by Ron Howard

The Da Vinci Code is a 2006 mystery thriller film directed by Ron Howard, written by Akiva Goldsman, and based on Dan Brown's 2003 novel of the same name. The first in the Robert Langdon film series, the film stars Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Ian McKellen, Alfred Molina, Jürgen Prochnow, Jean Reno and Paul Bettany. In the film, Robert Langdon, a professor of religious symbology from Harvard University, is the prime suspect in the grisly and unusual murder of Louvre curator Jacques Saunière. On the body, the police find a disconcerting cipher and start an investigation. Langdon escapes with the assistance of police cryptologist Sophie Neveu, and they begin a quest for the legendary Holy Grail. A noted British Grail historian, Sir Leigh Teabing, tells them that the actual Holy Grail is explicitly encoded in Leonardo da Vinci's wall painting, The Last Supper. Also searching for the Grail is a secret cabal within Opus Dei, an actual prelature of the Holy See, who wish to keep the true Grail a secret to prevent the destruction of Christianity.

Lynn Picknett is an English writer of books that are mainly about religious history and popular conspiracy theories, the paranormal, the occult, and historical mysteries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Lewis</span> American writer (born 1960)

Michael Monroe Lewis is an American author and financial journalist. He has also been a contributing editor to Vanity Fair since 2009, writing mostly on business, finance, and economics. He is known for his nonfiction work, particularly his coverage of financial crises and behavioral finance.

Michael Baigent was a New Zealand writer who published a number of popular works questioning traditional perceptions of history and the life of Jesus. He is known best as a co-author of the book The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail.

The Da Vinci Code, a popular suspense novel by Dan Brown, generated criticism and controversy after its publication in 2003. Many of the complaints centered on the book's speculations and misrepresentations of core aspects of Christianity and the history of the Catholic Church. Additional criticisms were directed toward the book's inaccurate descriptions of European art, history, architecture, and geography.

Richard Harris Leigh was a novelist and short story writer born in New Jersey, United States to a British father and an American mother, who spent most of his life in the UK. Leigh earned a BA from Tufts University, a master's degree from the University of Chicago, and a PhD from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

<i>The Jesus Papers</i>

The Jesus Papers: Exposing the Greatest Cover-Up in History is a book by author Michael Baigent published in 2006. Providing his detailed history of Jesus' life and crucifixion, using papers that were covered up, the book documents the political context of Jesus' birth and then goes on to examine the history of the migration of the family of Jesus, the chronicles of his teachings, and his death. The book was published on the same day that The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown became available as a paperback in the US.

<i>The Da Vinci Code</i> (video game) 2006 video game

The Da Vinci Code is a 2006 adventure puzzle video game developed by The Collective and published by 2K for PlayStation 2, Xbox and Microsoft Windows. Although the game was released on the same day that the film of the same name opened in theaters, it is based directly on the 2003 novel by Dan Brown rather than the film. As such, the characters in the game do not resemble nor sound like their filmic counterparts.

<i>The Da Vinci Code</i> 2003 novel by Dan Brown

The Da Vinci Code is a 2003 mystery thriller novel by Dan Brown. It is Brown's second novel to include the character Robert Langdon: the first was his 2000 novel Angels & Demons. The Da Vinci Code follows symbologist Robert Langdon and cryptologist Sophie Neveu after a murder in the Louvre Museum in Paris causes them to become involved in a battle between the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei over the possibility of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene having had a child together.

The Jesus bloodline refers to the proposition that a lineal sequence of the historical Jesus has persisted, possibly to the present time. The claims frequently describe Jesus as having married, often to Mary Magdalene, and as having descendants living in Europe, especially France but also the UK. Differing and contradictory Jesus progeny scenarios, as well as more limited claims that Jesus married and had children, have been proposed in numerous modern books. Some such claims have suggested that Jesus survived the crucifixion and went to another location such as France, India or Japan.

Amy Welborn is an American Roman Catholic writer and activist, as well as a public speaker. Formerly, she was a theology teacher at a Catholic high school in Lakeland Florida and served as a parish Director of Religious Education. She was a columnist for Our Sunday Visitor. as well as for Catholic News Service.

Carl E. Olson is an American theologian, a Christian apologist and non-fiction author.

Henry Soskin, better known as Henry Lincoln, was a British author, television presenter, scriptwriter, and actor. He co-wrote three Doctor Who multi-part serials in the 1960s, and — starting in the 1970s — inspired three Chronicle BBC Two documentaries on the alleged mysteries surrounding the French village of Rennes-le-Château — and, from the 1980s, co-authored and authored a series of books of which The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail was the most popular, becoming the inspiration for Dan Brown's 2003 best-selling novel, The Da Vinci Code. He was the last living person to have written for Doctor Who in the 1960s.

<i>The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail</i> 1982 speculative history book

The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail is a book by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln.

<i>Horse and Rider</i> (wax sculpture)

Horse and Rider is a beeswax sculpture depicting a rider on a horse. The history of the sculpture is unknown before the 20th century. The work has been attributed to Leonardo da Vinci by the Italian art historian Carlo Pedretti, though most historians have ignored or denied the attribution. A number of casts have been made, using a mold taken from the wax original.

References

  1. Mnookin, Seth. "The DaVinci Clone?". VanityFair.com. Vanity Fair . Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  2. "Author Brown 'did not plagiarise'". news.bbc.co.uk. BBC News. 6 August 2005. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  3. Lara, Adair (30 March 2004). "One 'Da Vinci' has sold millions, the other is little known. Lewis Perdue alleges the popular novel has his book to thank". www.sfgate.com. SF Gate. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  4. "Lewis Perdue". www.mswritersandmusicians.com. Mississippi Writers Project. 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  5. Perdue, Lewis (1992). "AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES: LEWIS PERDUE". french-paradox.net. The French Paradox. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  6. "Lewis Perdue". thestreet.com. TheStreet.com . Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  7. "Salon may be a harbinger of journalism's future on the Internet". jdlasica.com. J.D. Lasica . Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  8. "Computing Books written by Lewis Perdue". computinghistory.org.uk. Computing History. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  9. "Lewis Perdue has been named a vice president". The Los Angeles Times. 1985-08-25. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  10. "Lewis Perdue". CraftBeverageExpo.com. Craft Beverage Expo. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  11. "Case Studies: Wine Industry Insight". yourtechworx.com. YourTechWorx. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  12. "New and Improved Daily News Fetch". wineindustryinsight.com. Wine Industry Insight. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  13. "Pocketpass Team". Archived from the original on August 17, 2002. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  14. "Pocketpass Frequently Asked Questions". Archived from the original on August 17, 2002. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  15. "Center for Research on Environmental Chemicals in Humans". crechcenter.org. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
  16. "Stricter protocols combined with a clinical serum biomarker can increase replicability and causality for dietary intervention studies". medrxiv.org. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
  17. "Clans: Capturing consumer perceptions, subconscious data & intent for accurate recommendations that can dramatically increase customer retention and profitability". Recommendationinsights.com. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  18. "Forensic Linguistics Intelligence Obituary: John Olsson". thetext.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
  19. "A forensic account of the striking infringements of protectable material By Daniel Brown in his Da Vinci Code with respect to Lewis Perdue's Daughter of God and related works". thetext.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
  20. Mnookin, Seth. "The DaVinci Clone?". VanityFair.com. Vanity Fair . Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  21. Daniels, George B. "Memorandum Opinion and Order, 04 Civ. 7417 (GBD)" (PDF). United States District Court Southern District of New York.
  22. "Lewis Perdue". www.fantasticfiction.com. Fantastic Fiction. 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  23. "Stop, You're Killing Me". stopyourekillingme.com. Retrieved 2023-08-02.