No, its not obvious to me - that's a luxury you enjoy that I cannot share. Do you know of a personality on TV or radio who doesn't have a book they've written? And how many of them lend their names to organizations they like? Whether it's Save the Kittens or Support the Troops. To me it's more clear cut to have someone be a Chair of a pro-troop 501c3 non-profit than it is to write a self-promoting book.
Hm. Well, you're entitled to your opinion.