Review: Unabomber: The Secret Life of Ted Kaczynski by Dave Shors and Chris Waits

Title: Unabomber: The Secret Life of Ted Kaczynski
Authors: Dave Shors and Chris Waits
Publisher: Farcountry Press
Publication Date: July 1, 1999
Edition: Hardcover (288 pages)
Categories:

• Nonfiction
• Mystery
• Crime

Unabomber: The Secret Life of Ted Kaczynski by Chris Waits

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The author, Chris Waits, lived close by Theodore Kaczynski, the Unabomber, for twenty-five years. They were friends. Yet, Chris Waits had no idea about the real secret life of his neighbor,Ted Kaczynski. In this book, the authors detail the life style of some in the rural Montana area. The meeting of Chris Waits and Ted Kaczynski, their interactions, and Chris's involvement with the FBI and the subsequent investigation of Ted Kaczynski and the Unabomber case as it unfolded.

This was a most interesting read. It provided much insight into the life of Ted Kaczynski in terms of his personality, how he lived, and ultimately what he did as the Unabomber. It also exemplified the conflict when one has to choose between loyalty to a friend, and doing what ultimately you believe is right--a difficult choice that Chris Waits had to make, many times, during his involvement in the Unabomber investigation.

I have always been fascinated by people's life choices and the reasons for them, especially those who are nonconformists, for lack of a more descriptive word. People who do not fit the usual mold interest me because I've always been somewhat of a nonconformist, myself. I also greatly appreciated the authors wonderful descriptions of the mountains and the Montana high country. I could readily see its beauty in my mind's eye.