Unabomber: The Secret Life of Ted Kaczynski

by Chris Waits, Dave Shors

Lincoln, Montana, resident Waits recalls the 25 years when his "friend" Ted lived nearby. Uniquely personal view of the Unabomber.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Biography, Crime, Biography Memoir, Memoir

322 pages, Paperback

First published July 28, 1999

Reviews

[Nick Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The gullibility of people mystified me; it's amazing how quickly a criminal is transformed into an icon, to be almost worshipped. It's a given that criminals have rights, but what about the victims and their rights? Somehow I feel our nation's sense of values has become skewed." - Chris Waits

After consuming every video I could on Ted Kaczynski, I decided to read this book about him, written by Chris Waits, a neighbor of Ted's who let him use his land, an extensive tract of property comprising an entire gulch, complete with mountains, ridge trails, forests, streams, and plenty of natural plants and wild game. It was in this Montana wilderness that Ted made his home during a 25-year span. And that whole time, he was allowed on Chris Waits' land, free to come and go as he pleased, and also camp there and stay as long as he liked.

One of the reasons Kaczynski interests me is a similarity he shares with John Forbes Nash, Jr.
He was:
(1) A genius by IQ tests
(2) A mathematician
(3) A man who obtained a Ph.D. in mathematics
(4) At one time, a professor in mathematics
(5) Mentally ill, specifically paranoid schizophrenic

These two advanced-degree holders shared those things in common, among others. Where they diverge is that John Nash used his genius to contribute to mankind, while Ted Kaczynski turned his genius to exact revenge upon a society whose progression to an advanced state of technology and knowhow (jet airplanes, computers, skyscrapers, noisy cities, and so on) he deeply resented. Ted hated especially people who worked in technology, academia, and who "destroyed" wilderness through logging and mining, and through transforming forests into cities, and making noisy machines. These levels of noise, such as the sounds of snowmobiles, motorcycles, airplanes flying by, chainsaws, and so on threatened Ted right where he lived, in a cabin in the Montana wilderness. Even as he retreated into the wild, the "technological society" seemed to hem him in, reaching his ears even in the most secluded of spots, and raising his ire to dramatic levels.

The quote I began with shares my point of view. We make these murderers and serial killers into some form of celebrity, instead of understanding them as cold-blooded killers. This book contains much information about Ted's secret locations to hide out and develop his bombs, right under Chris Waits' very nose, and upon Waits' own land. Little did Waits know he was being kind and giving to a serial killer. Three stars. Interesting read.

[Bill reilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my fourth venture into the world of Ted Kaczynski; two of which were written by him. Chris Waits was a neighbor of Ted's and is a man for all season's. He worked as a logging and roadbuilding contractor and gold panning is one of his many interests. Unfortunately, this book is a self congatulatory work with the author pounding the theme of Ted's second secret cabin. Chris owned the property where he discovered the mad bomber's journals of 22,000 pages. Much of the writings were complaints of planes, motorcycles and miners upsetting Ted's inner peace ; kill 'em all. He informed the FBI and they seemed uninterested in the tiny cabin. He knew Ted on and off from 1971 to 1996. They had a casual friendship and spoke mostly of survival in the wilderness and never about family or college. Wait's had no idea of the math genius's history until after his arrest. The land and climate are unforgiving with 20 below temperatures and two foot snowstorms being the norm. Ted never complained of the harsh environment. Several of Chris's dogs were poisoned and his beloved Husky was shot with a .22. Mining and logging machinery was damaged with sugar poured into their gas tanks and nearby cabins were vandalized. It all stopped after 1996, with the removal of Teddy. I did not learn much from this book although one incident made me laugh. Ted received a delivery and the UPS man saw him open the box to reveal a blood pressure monitor. Like the late great pianist Glenn Gould, Ted kept a meticulous written record of his b/p readings. He feared an early death from heart disease. The best parts are Kaczynski's journal writings. They alternately read like a cross between Walden and the ravings of a luntatic.

[Tom Byron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book written by the man who was his neighbor in the Montana woods. Invaluable material if you are interested in True Crime and High profile cases. The author however seems to be completely naïve in that it seems impossible he did not link up Ted's bazaar anti social behavior with the strange events in the surrounding area .You will see from this book that Ted was not the lay low non entity you might think he would have to be to remain invisible for so many decades. He seems to have committed massive vandalizing crimes at logging sites and construction equipment and robbing and trashing cabins near the property . Even fired on low flying military aircraft with his rifle during the years he was also sending out bombs in the mail. As a plus There is a lot of information Not only on the FBI's mission to infiltrate the Montana woods and gather info but also on The Unabomber's Cabin, His Hand made Bicycle ,His Hidden Caches.and how he survived alone .

[Everydayreader1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was written for no other reason than monetary gain. Chris was begging the FBI to pay him for his knowledge even after it was clear they DID NOT NEED it to convict Ted. Chris is nothing but a greedy piece of grizzly bear scat that used The Unabomber case to make a few dollars. Disgusting.

[Khalil Merali · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the work to be very thoughtful and insightful. The author was Kaczynski's neighbor and friend for 25 years and after Ted's capture he began to re-examine all of thier past interactions and discussions for clues he may have missed, his recollections paint a picture of Ted as a socially akward, weak, violent (but highly intellegent) man with extreme rage, women issues and revenge fantasies that found thier outlet in violent and murderous acts.

Included in the book are important excerpts from Ted's journal and a lengthy account of the crime and vandalism he inflicted on Lincoln, Montana which includes murdering several dogs, smashing miners and loggers equipment, destroying log cabins and vehicles, shooting at helicopters and planes, and plans to murder bikers and miners that he almost carried out but ultimately didn't (not because of any moral qualms) because he was worried he might be caught.

In his journal excerpts it becomes evident he didn't believe in his cause and that it was an excuse for him to feel powerful, a way of compensating for his lackluster life.

[Candorman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Waits provides an authentic, comprehensive, thoroughly well-researched, and fully accurate account of his relationship with the subject of this book and documents many of his descriptions with exhibits from the subject's own notebooks. The subject person attempted to discredit Mr. Waits and his detailed account of their relationship but, as with his other denials and disclaimers, they fail on the merits. Mr. Waits gives a full picture of the evil that exists in this scum who got away much too lightly for the crimes he committed.

[Anita Dalton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This entry has less to do with the content of the book than it does with the ephemera and inscriptions found in the copy I purchased used online. Since this is less about the contents of the book than it is a look at the added elements of a signature and McDonald's receipt, it may not be the best subject for a book review. However if such things interest you, have a look over on Odd Things Considered: https://www.oddthingsconsidered.com/b...

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waits offers an incredibly unique and detailed perspective about Ted Kaczynski's 25 years living in Lincoln, Montana. The writing frequently seemed self-righteous and indulgent though, as if he wrote this primarily to feel appreciated for his efforts and to receive the credit he felt the FBI didn't adequately offer.

[Gemma · Rating 4 out of 5]

After all, it's a crime story disguised in the National Geographics/ wilderness survival narratives.
It's a story that bears the stamp of the 70s to the 90s. Tensions portrayed in the <1984> were a general backdrop. There's no escape in front of societal transformation, or 'the insanity' judged by the psychiatrist-but declined by Ted himself-was his mental escape against reality.
''Was this a tragedy or a wicked story?'' Had been the question by the author.

[Marlena Oechsner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad book, but I went into it with the wrong mindset. I wanted to learn more about Ted's upbringing and his history and this book was written by his neighbor. While it was definitely an interesting read, it didn't give me the details I was after (family life, etc).

[Mitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the descriptions of the Montana wilderness. It is also incredible to me that it took Mr. Waits 25 years (GIVING HIM LOTS OF CREDIT BCUZ IT WAS THE FBI THAT CONNECTED THE DOTS) to figure out his scat smearing hermit friend might've been up to some bad bad thingies.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, riveting, exciting, good detail. Never interested in the Unabomber before reading this. Now I am very interested!

[Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could have been 50% shorter. Too much self-congratulatory writing by author and FBI. Interesting for about 150 pages, reads like into the wild

[Radu · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit of a dull read compared to other books about Ted Kaczynski, but this one is written by one of his neighbours during the time he was living in Montana.

[Peter Plate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ted was an intense guy

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting.

[B. Reese · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the first non-fiction books I read pretty much by choice. My friend Elijah used to check out random stuff from the library, and this was one of them. He offered it to me, so I said sure, why not.

This book was really fascinating. Waits relates accounts of his actions with Kaczynski as well as the numerous little hidey-holes Kaczynski had set up all around town. The reader is left with a picture of a man who lived out a life of solitude and bleakness in the elements.

Waits seems to have had a friendly relationship with Kaczynski, sort of proving Jerry Seinfeld's theory that the neighbors are safest from serial killers. Even so, Waits paints a clear picture that Kaczynski was not exactly his best friend.

Really recommend this book for anyone doing research into characters who do evil or for anyone just looking to see what makes a "modern monster" tick.

[Dale Stonehouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars not necessarily for the writing, but for living close to Ted and knowing some of his nasty habits and quirks, even to the point of knowing some of his library reading. Kaczynski was even more of a jerk than the national story would indicate, killing dogs and pouring sugar in gas tanks of construction equipment. It's sad to see an intelligent mind wasted on destructive attempts to stop technology from advancing. Many agree with his viewpoints; where minds diverge is choosing methods and remedies for the ills of man.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extraordinarily written! Chris Waits was his closest neighbor and perhaps the one who knew him best for his 25 years in Lincoln. This guy is a true renaissance man, Chris Waits, not Ted...although I could make that argument for Ted too in an evil renaissance.

[Ethan]

I really liked this book so far.

[Ian]

Recommended

[Bob Peru · Rating 4 out of 5]

as i've repeated-- i do NOT condone what he did.
and for which he's rightly imprisoned.
but i do condone most of his views.
so there.