The Washington Post reported the borrowed passages on its Web site on Tuesday, saying that the expert it asked to review Ms. Goodall’s book had noticed the problem and informed the editors.

The book, “Seeds of Hope: Wisdom and Wonder From the World of Plants,” is not about chimps but about plants and their impact on human lives, an area outside Ms. Goodall’s area of expertise. It was written with a co-author, Gail Hudson, who has worked with Ms. Goodall on two previous books.

Ms. Goodall acknowledged the duplication and apologized. “This was a long and well-researched book,” Ms. Goodall told The Post in an e-mail, “and I am distressed to discover that some of the excellent and valuable sources were not properly cited, and I want to express my sincere apologies.”

The Post said the book’s publisher, Grand Central, said it was surprised to hear of the unattributed passages and that it had not yet decided on a course of action, ‘’beyond crediting the sources in subsequent releases.”

The Post article reports that the borrowed passages in the book are not from Ms. Goodall’s narrative but come when she adds scientific detail behind her personal tales.

The Post cited the example of a discussion of the 18th-century Philadelphia botanist John Bartram. Ms. Goodall wrote: “’Bartram’s Boxes,’ as they came to be known, were regularly sent to Peter Collinson for distribution to a wide list of European clients.”

An entry on Wikipedia reads: “Bartram’s Boxes as they they became known, were regularly sent to Peter Collinson every fall for distribution in England to a wide list of clients.”

Ms. Goodall told The Post that she would discuss the issue on her Jane Goodall Institute Web site blog.

Article source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/20/business/media/jane-goodall-admits-borrowing-passages-for-new-book.html?partner=rss&emc=rss