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David Kaczynski. Every Last Tie: The Story of the Unabomber and His Family. 176pp, 29 illustrations, $19.95 hardcover: 978-0-8223-59804, ebook: 978-0-8223-7500-5. February 2016. Duke University Press.
David Kaczynski's memoir is important if only as a primary document that records the recollections of a sibling of an American serial killer. Readers should be aware of the likely biases of the writer, as what brother would portray himself as a villain that helped to shape a murderer? Despite this, careful readers can find the curious psychology, biases and truths about David, Ted and their relationship between the solid lines of text. David writes that when he was seven and Ted was in high school, Ted moved into the attic to finally get his own bedroom and to "isolate himself from the family whenever he wanted, which turned out to be rather often" (7). Think back to your childhood. Do you recall times when you wanted to move to the attic? Perhaps there were shouting matches? Maybe your sibling stole your favorite book and buried it in the backyard? David does not describe these incidents from what must have been a violently emotional childhood for both of them that led Ted to feel the need to isolate himself from the brood. David keeps returning to the question he asks his mother outright, "'What's wrong with Ted?'" (8) His preference to stay alone in the attic and...