Luigi: The Making and the Meaning

by John H. Richardson

The first book to explain why the world was primed for the Luigi Mangione moment, showing the history that led him to be embraced as an avenger with an affection not seen since Jesse James or Robin Hood.

The explosion of glee and sympathy for Luigi surprised everyone, but it was everywhere. Hours after the shooting of the United Healthcare executive, his company put out a message out on Facebook saying their “hearts go out to Brian’s family and all who were close to him.” People replied with laughing emojis and comments like this “No one here is the judge of who deserves to live or die. That’s the job of the AI algorithm the insurance company designed to maximize profits on your health.” On TikTok, another commentator said, “Oh my god, y’all really raised the school shooter generation and now you’re asking us for sympathy?” she asks. “Welcome to a regular Tuesday at school in America.”

When he was arrested, TikTok exploded with more love for “They could’ve been more gentle with him, he has back problems,” said one commentator. Others attempted to come to his rescue. “He is innocent, he was with me the whole time.” EBay said that while it had a policy prohibiting items that glorify violence, they were allowing the sale of items with the words “deny defend depose.” In Seattle, someone reprogrammed a couple of electric highway signs so they “One CEO down…many more to go.”

So where is all this coming from? Richardson has tracked the building blocks of this widespread alienation for three decades, finding it across not only the environmental movement but among those who reject capitalism itself, including the rules that govern everything from insurance to healthcare. He has followed the men and women who have gone to extremes to express that alienation, and studied the inspirations they found in other outlaws, most especially Ted Kaczynski (Luigi had posted a review of Kaczynski’s manifesto on Goodreads). The result is a book that will put Luigi in context and even illuminate how his appeal is likely to play out in the future.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Biography, Crime

272 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 4, 2025

Reviews

[Nancy Yager · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked up this book because I wanted to better understand the Luigi Mangione situation and why so many people seemed to be condoning the murder of Brian Thompson, an United Healthcare Executive, even celebrating it. John H. Richardson presents a compelling theory, based on his research, that murder is justified because it would prevent the denial of millions of health insurance claims in the future.

It’s an unusual and controversial idea, but that’s the line of reasoning the author leans into.
Richardson even suggests that it will deter other employees of United Healthcare from denying claims. I don’t like the justification, but it may be true. Supposedly, it will all be exposed in the trial. Even though the true crimer in me knows that most murder trials end in plea deals and the true facts of crimes are never exposed to the public. Is this a good thing?

The research itself, though, is questionable. Richardson bases much of his evidence on Mangione’s Goodreads page—what he read and what he wanted to read—and occasionally on Reddit posts. Personally, I don’t think social media posts or book lists are a solid foundation for serious research, nor are they a true reflection of someone’s life or motivations.

The first half of the book was engaging. I was following along and curious to see where Richardson would take his arguments. Unfortunately, around the 50% mark, the book takes a turn. It shifts away from Mangione and instead becomes more of a history lesson on Ted Kaczynski’s manifesto. Maybe if I was more familiar with Kaczynski’s ideas, I would have understood the book better. After that point, the writing style itself also seems to fall apart, with misspelled words and sections that were nearly incomprehensible.

Overall, the book started strong but quickly lost its way. Interesting premise, but weak research methods and an uneven second half left me frustrated.
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the Advanced Reader’s copy.

[lane]

fineshyt

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

there's always such an eerie silence when it comes to these supposed 'revolutionary' figures and women. patriarchy is the oldest form of oppression. it came to be at the same time as agriculture, which, to ted, to luigi, and to many others of their ilk, is the root of so many of society's current evils--ecological destruction, class warfare, starvation, etc etc etc. yet here luigi is fraternizing with far-right womanhaters who blame society's collapse on women winning the right to vote. are you really for equality? or, deep down, is there a certain version of inequality that you wish to proliferate, once the legal system has collapsed and you can rape and enslave us without any pushback whatsoever? ted k wrote all this off with a note that it was "unfortunate" what would happen to women once he got the social collapse he wanted. "unfortunate." like a blemish.

i think it's "unfortunate" that you're willing to sabotage your revolution by refusing to consider the unique needs of 52% of the human population, whom you quietly alienate with your wilful, continued ignorance. this guy claims to be so smart, but can't even "figure out" that 52% of the population are people just like him? instead he reads little navel-gazing pieces about how it's so tragic men are addicted to watching sex-trafficked women get raped and tortured on their devices. wow yes. won't someone think about the poor men. if he knew a single thing about women he'd know that women are SOCIALIZED to be dumb, docile little consumers who proliferate the very system he claims to be so against, but no. instead he hangs out with the guys who say that biologically we're just like that. and i guess men are also hardwired to be vidya addicts, like Luigi used to be? why are men victimized by the system, while women are "meant" to be slaves? hmm...

I'm not buying what these guys are selling. any of them. start talking about the rights of people like me--to an abortion, to liberty from patriarchy, to freedom from rape--or shut the fuck up, and i'm siding with the normies against you. Denounce patriarchy outright, and repeatedly, so that we know you aren't just trying to create a rapist's paradise. To ignore the systemic oppression of 52% of the population which is HISTORICALLY LINKED TO THE EXACT SOCIAL DEVELOPMENTS YOU TRACE ALL SOCIETY'S EVILS TO is an absolutely abysmal oversight. It's unconscionable. Hey "handsome"--we're smarter than you give us credit for.

Crazy that I have the same favorite movie as this guy (not author--Luigi) and read the same book on [redacted] family issue. Waough.

Amazingly written, great job by Richardson, I learned a lot, etc. I think there might have been some outdated climate stuff in there, though, but that might just be that things have changed a lot since it was composed.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

Half of the time, I was fascinated that Luigi is such a “regular” guy who read a lot of political, social, economic theories. He went to UPenn, got his masters in 4 years, worked a normal job, played video games, hung out with friends, drank too much sometimes, etc. By all means, he’s not “radical” like other high profiler killers. Granted, we don’t know for sure that he committed this crime, but his background is so interesting. It’s so wild how “accepting” society was when this crime occurred.

The other half of the time, I couldn’t really understand the non-Luigi chapters. I found them a little boring compared to the rest of the book.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look at the anti-technology and anti-capitalist thinking that (allegedly) influenced Luigi Mangione. I really appreciated Richardson’s perspective as a correspondent of Ted Kaczynski and as a journalist who has interviewed many subjects with similar mindsets. I look forwarding to rereading the published version. Thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing a review copy

[Ann Herrold · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rather dull but at times interesting. I enjoyed the questioning of how beliefs can turn people radical, or more accurately make people do extreme things in the name of their belief. I was surprised at how in depth the author goes into Ted Kazinsky and how little time it spent on Luigi himself.

[Miranda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you #NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for giving me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is DENSE. Very dense. I feel like a lot of it went over my head. I didn’t realize how much of a deep dive the author was going to go on the unabomber and his manifesto. Before reading this book I didn’t even know the guys name. This author definitely did his research and first hand journalism on these mad men. However, he harped a lot on the unabomber.

The information about Luigi’s background and upbringing felt like something I could have read from a Wikipedia page about him.

Honestly I thought about stopping this book multiple times. Which isn’t like me because I NEVER DNF a book. However, with this one I felt like it was too much. I felt like at some points the author was trying to justify why these crazy people do these things (which is just insane to me).

After finishing this book, I will say what deterred me a LOT and left me uninterested was the amount of typos. So so SO many typing errors. It made me feel like this author just hammered this paper out the night before and sent it to his publisher and nobody read it before sending it out as an ARC.

This book just was not it for me. Which is okay. I knew 50/50 when I requested this ARC that I was either going to love it or not. I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone due to the typos alone. Incredibly frustrating. And the material in the book was also subpar. After finishing I still feel like the author is trying to persuade readers that the unabomber, Luigi, and other revolutionary anarchists aren’t that bad.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating and informative account much more about the influences and movements that created and motivated Luigi than Luigi himself. I’m sure many books will be released about what could potentially become a pivotal moment. This was a good start.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Richardson's book is a bit of a mishmash of ideas. He scours over Luigi's internet history of Goodreads reviews, social media accounts, blog posts, academic career, friends and acquaintances, trying to find something to piece together a thesis. He comes away expressing what a lot of journalism has already discovered: he did not fit into one box, ideologically speaking, and had interests that are definitely niche but he is undoubtedly a bright man. But Richardson spends a lot of time on his past experiences following activists, and describing online subcultures. He includes a lot on Ted Kaczynski. Some of this was fascinating, and at times, it felt like an attempt to connect the dots in a way that wasn't convincing. 3/5

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found a lot to chew on here. A few things:

This book is not a biography of Luigi. It's more about grappling with the idea that Ted K says a lot of resonant things. And how do you hear these things from Ted, and live your life and not act on them? Many chapters in this book are about Ted and the author's relationship with him (they were pen pals) and about other young men who seem to have commonalities with Luigi.

This book probably should have waited to come out. I think it would have been stronger for that.

If you've been turning over the meaning of what is happening in our country for a while now, you might click with a lot of what you read here.

[AcademicEditor · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a lot of interesting threads in this book, but I think as an editor I would have woven things together a bit differently. I suppose the subtitle "The making and the meaning" is doing the heavy lifting here of tying things together, but we simply do not have enough information about the former yet, and the latter probably shouldn't be written for a few decades. The author traced every social media thread (Goodreads, Reddit, online reactions from people who knew Luigi or had corresponded with him) as far as it can possibly go, so he intersperses stories of other young men he's known who remind him of Luigi--bright, disillusioned, conflicted, activist, anarchist, etc. All roads seem to lead him back to Uncle Ted the Unabomber, with whom he corresponded for a few years (and the excerpts he shares are interesting--Ted was cynical and insulting but often prescient about the direction our world is heading). But the book jumps around both in the chronology of Luigi's life and the secondary characters, with such weak transitions as "That's how I ended up driving out to Penn State to interview Dr. Michael Mann just four months before Luigi arrived at UPenn." Um, okay? Those are both universities in the same state, just 200 miles apart. Must have been kismet.

Another gripe I have is that the reader gets no refreshers. I had to search in my Kindle to remember who was who among the angry young men. Tim Urban's book is mentioned in chapter 1 as a Luigi Goodreads pick; it reappears in chapter 8 without the author's first name or any reminder of its significance. That wouldn't be a big deal if you're reading in one sitting, but this is lengthy and intense enough reading that I read at intervals over a few days, thus taxing my memory.

But getting back to my editorial suggestions: I think if this book had been framed as a study of how intelligent young people are coping with the flawed world they have inherited, and how they react to the transgressive acts that certain people have (allegedly) committed, there's a way to tell Luigi's background without it seeming opportunistic or premature--but also not so centered on him, as the striking cover shot certainly. There might also be a whole separate book of "My Letters to Ted K." And maybe those books will come, as we gain more insight into both the making and meaning of what actually happened, if we ever find out.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Srigowri Shekhar · Rating 1 out of 5]

John H. Richardson’s Luigi: The Making & the Meaning presents itself as a thoughtful exploration of Luigi Mangione’s life and the circumstances surrounding his case how ever it fails on nearly every level to deliver either insight or integrity. Instead of offering genuine investigation or analysis, Richardson assembles a shallow, speculative narrative that focuses on sensationalism instead of substance.

The book’s most glaring flaw is it’s lack of depth and understanding. Richardson’s obsessive fixation on comparing Mangione to Ted Kaczynski dominates the text, reducing Luigi to a crude archetype rather than presenting him as a complex individual. There is very little evidence of original research, meaningful context and engagement with verifiable facts about Mangione’s life or the details of his case. Richardson’s fixation on Ted Kaczynski’s mythos feels more like a fanboy obsession instead of it being an investigative analysis, turning Mangione into a derivative echo of someone else’s infamy.

What is even more concerning is the book’s ethical posture. Richardson writes as though Mangione’s guilt were already established, abandoning the presumption of innocence central to both journalism and constitutional justice. By portraying unproven allegations as validated truths, the book risks tainting the jury pool and undermining Mangione’s right to a fair trial.

By presenting unproven allegations as facts and repeatedly assuming Mangione’s guilt, the book amplifies the prejudicial narrative created by government misconduct, media commentary, and orchestrated displays like the “perp walk.” Instead of addressing corruption, illegal search and seizure and due process violations, Richardson’s work reinforces bias, undermining Mangione’s presumption of innocence and offering readers a distorted, ethically compromised account of a deeply flawed case.

Ultimately, Richardson’s work seems opportunistic and ethically careless, it’s a shallow, self-serving text that is created for attention and contributes nothing of meaning to the conversation it so confidently claims to lead.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Imagine that I’m placing my hands on your shoulders and looking deeply into your eyes, the fate of the world and all of humankind depending on what I’m about to tell you… take a deep breath… and hear me: He is even more handsome in person! I know this may be difficult to believe or accept for some, but I assure you that it is the truth…Luigi Mangione is More. Handsome. In. Person. His hair had grown longer and even more luxurious. His brows were the brows of the Roman Gods of his ancestors. He was taller than both of the guards who held each of his arms, he has to be at least 6'1". His jawline, 5 o’clock shadow, and lips, were out of a Caravaggio painting.”

“Luigi looks like a Disney prince and risked everything…in a blaze of glory, offering himself up for punishment by throwing away the Monopoly money he’d been carrying while holding on to incriminating evidence like his fake ID and 3D printed gun. And so…he becomes Saint Luigi, sanctified in the sacrifice of his promising young life…a strikingly handsome, dark-haired Luigi painted as a medieval icon in holy robes, with a golden halo and a burning heart…A man risked everything to exact accountability in an era where there’s no accountability and this released a torrent of emotion and love.”

But he’s also “a real person who sacrificed a promising young life. I saw you plead not guilty at your arraignment. I heard your voice, I saw your face and that dazed, stony expression of someone being stared at by the world. That made all this real. Your attorney touching you on the shoulder, saying ‘This is a young man’…So I figured on some level you wanted people like me to tell the tale.”

“I like telling stories. Often, they’re about obsessive men doing extreme things that border on ideology or politics, but that just seemed like a natural result of looking for good stories…Robin Hoods come with a beautiful promise, to escape into the deep forest where we can be free. They arrive in times of social turmoil, when the people are suffering and nothing makes sense anymore—in the time of fables, when we can be heroes or monsters.”

[Madison ✨ (mad.lyreading) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I saw one reviewer describe this book as "opportunistic," and that resonates with my reading. I felt this book was written too early, and that shows with the author's many references to things like Luigi's GoodReads page and reddit posts. A book like this can only truly be done by talking with the subject, something currently impossible as Luigi is still facing criminal charges. Further, the author writes the entire book from the perspective that Luigi is guilty, something that feels icky when it is just, legally speaking, untrue. If Luigi were to be acquitted, could he sue the author for defamation? (likely not, I'm just spitballing here)

The book is a deep dive into people like Ted Kasinski and other extremists who turn to violence to 'make the world better.' This is all supposedly connected to Luigi, but the connection is fairly weak. I think the author used the title to sell copies, despite the material not quite matching with said title.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Chrystal Mahan · Rating 2 out of 5]

ARC reader review.

As someone who’s been following the Luigi Mangione story since day one, I was hoping Luigi: The Making and the Meaning would go far beyond the viral headlines. I wanted to understand the psychology, the social shifts, and the ripple effects that made Luigi a folk hero to some and a villain to others. Sadly, the book didn’t meet those expectations.

Much of it rehashes what’s already available through social media, news clips, and online threads. The author includes personal experiences and reflections, but they often feel disconnected from the central story. There’s potential here for a powerful sociological exploration, but the execution feels rushed and surface-level.

For readers new to the Luigi story, Richardson’s overview might serve as an accessible entry point. But for those who’ve already absorbed the story in real time, this book offers little that’s new or insightful. It feels more like commentary than investigation.

[John Calanchini · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've felt for a while that the average American is misled into believing that the fulcrum of political battle divides left and right, when in fact it is centered between up and down (ultra-rich vs common). This book is try first time encountering this point being articulated, and has been a good source of inspiration for further readings to challenge my biases about what I've previously felt makes America strong. However I feel this book was written prematurely; the verdict on Luigi is still out, so it feels like it was written in a rush to become the first book on the man. The book ends not so much talking about Luigi Mangione, but instead about speculation based on online dialogue, and a lot of time is actually spent covering the authors letters with Ted Kaczynski; I can see the parallel between the two but this book isn't about him. Overall, I recommend reading the book, but bear those final points in mind as you do so.

[Jess Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for the gifted copy of this book.

I was really excited for the release of this one, but unfortunately it was nothing like what I was expecting. This was more about the Unabomber than about Luigi Mangione.

The author is a retired Esquire journalist and has had correspondence with the Unabomber and infiltrated groups related to his cause. The parts of this book about Ted are well researched and interesting. It actually makes me want to read some of Ted's writing. However, the parts about Luigi lack research and effort. The author gets most of his information from Reddit threads and speculation around Mangione's goodreads account.

This book lacks cohesion. It feels like the author wrote a book about Ted, but couldn't sell it so he sprinkled in some Luigi facts so he could put his face on the cover.

2.5 ⭐️

[Brittney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Luigi: The Making and the Meaning by John H. Richardson
Expected Publication Date: November 4, 2025
Two Stars⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and the author for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love true crime and was really looking forward to learning more about the life of Luigi Mangione. Unfortunately, this book didn’t quite deliver what I expected. It skimmed over Mangione’s backstory and spent much more time focusing on Ted Kaczynski and his manifesto instead. I was hoping for a deeper look into Mangione himself… his motives, his background, and what really drove his actions. In the end, it just didn’t live up to what I was hoping for.

[Shieva · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a book on Ted Kaczynski, not on Luigi Mangione and the American healthcare system. The author said he spent 6 years corresponding with Kaczynski in prison. I think he just wanted to write a book on Kaczynski and used the media coverage on Mangione to boost his book sales idk 🤷‍♀️ You will not gain any insights on the American healthcare system or the social environment that led to the response that was seen after the murder of the United Healthcare CEO.

[Kaleb Hatley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Richardson’s discussion and explanation of the mythos surrounding Luigi Mangione. I especially enjoyed him tying together the Unabomber’s ideology, and those like him, to the kind of mindset that Luigi has. He talks about the moral grey lines between all these characters and their justifications. I’m very glad he included talking points about the books that Luigi read and rated on Gooreads, gives me a chance to read these books for myself and put myself into his head.

Good read. 4/5

[Mayar Mahdy · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5

This book shows you some unexpected (or maybe unexpected for me) sides of Luigi, like the fact he was a fan of Elon Musk for example. It paints a bigger picture. However, it takes you on too many side quests about other activits/anarchists, which isn't always clearly relevant and, in a book this size, wastes space that could discuss the main topic.

[Sam Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is not just about Luigi. There is a great deal about the unabomber and others who are part of the “revolution”. At times, the depth of information about others in the “revolution” drew too long.

[Joseph Nakonechny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is quite dense and eye-opening. This is more of an analysis on the social and political climate of America in the 2020s than anything.

[gina · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were some interesting parts of this book, and it did make me think about some things, but it seems lacking.

[Erik · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author is trying to sell more copies of his Ted Kaczynski book, so he perused Luigi Mangione’s Reddit posts and Goodreads history and slapped his photo on the cover.

[Nicole Peel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good cold weekend read! I wish it would’ve had more biographical information about Luigi since the book is about him and less comparison to Ted and other think tanks.