Badass: Birth of a Legend | Ben Thompson | Talks at Google

TL;DR

Ben Thompson discusses his book series, Badass of the Weeks, where he writes about historical and fictional characters who are known for their badass traits and actions.

Transcript

Ben Thompson: Thanks everybody for coming. This was a better turn out then I got for my Seattle book signing a couple months ago so I am very happy with the turn out. And if more people show up, they'll show up and we can all glare at them when they walk into the door and pretend that they are like bastards for showing up late. AH, so, this is m... Read More

Key Insights

• 📔 Ben Thompson's website and book series, Badass of the Weeks, focuses on historical and fictional characters known for their badass traits and actions.
• ✍️ Thompson conducts extensive research to ensure accuracy in his writings, primarily using books and Google Books as sources.
• ⬜ Thompson has a large following and fan base for his website, with millions of monthly hits.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does Ben Thompson choose the characters he writes about?

Thompson chooses characters based on their badass traits or actions. Some characters are suggested by his readers, while others he discovers through his research.

Q: Are there any specific types of characters Thompson avoids writing about?

Thompson tries to avoid writing about serial killers or other subjects that may be too heavy or sensitive. He also doesn't usually write about recent historical events like the Holocaust or civil rights movements.

Q: How does Thompson conduct his research for the characters he writes about?

Thompson spends a lot of time and money on books, particularly researching through Google Books. He ensures that he uses multiple legitimate sources for each character to maintain accuracy.

Q: Has Thompson collaborated with other websites, such as Cracked.com?

Yes, Thompson has contributed to Cracked.com to promote his first book. He noticed that they were featuring similar content to his website and decided that he should be the one getting paid for it.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Ben Thompson has written a website called Badass of the Weeks since 2004, where he shares stories about historical and fictional characters he finds to be extremely awesome.

• He boils down the stories of these characters to about 1,000 words, removing the boring details to focus on the exciting parts.

• Thompson has published two books based on his website, featuring characters like Thor and Nikola Tesla.