Luigi Mangione, a suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, reportedly had an interest in Ted Kaczynski’s manifesto, Industrial Society and Its Future, though his friends, including RJ Martin, didn’t observe any strong fascination with the material. RJ shared that Mangione was part of a book club where Kaczynski’s manifesto was discussed a couple of years ago. Although the group had lively discussions, most members struggled to get through the first chapters. RJ mentioned that Mangione didn’t seem particularly moved by the book at the time.
However, Mangione later gave the manifesto a 4-star review on Goodreads, calling it an “interesting” read, indicating that it had a deeper impact on him than initially apparent. Despite this, RJ expressed disbelief at the notion that Mangione could be involved in a violent crime, stating that the person he knew could never have committed murder.