Book excerpt: “In my madness I bought the ticket. I took the ride. I needed to live. I needed to suffer. I had to go.” —Rob Binkley Rob Binkley is a young Silicon Valley entrepreneur who has it all at twenty-seven: a thriving business, beautiful girlfriend, and great life. But something is missing. Despite his success, Rob fantasizes about shedding the shackles of his American Dream to live wild and free like his hero Hunter S. Thompson. As Rob’s world begins to fall apart, a visit from his Zen madman of a best friend, Brian, convinces him to hatch an escape plan and follow his bliss for authentic life experiences. Will he find the meaning of life while backpacking through twenty-three countries, or will he and Brian go mad wallowing in the extreme debauchery the world has to offer? A tribute to gonzo beat literature, Let’s Go Mad is the amazing true story of their year abroad backpacking across the globe on a sideways search in all the wrong places, with all the wrong people, at all the wrong times. After Brian’s lust for life inspires Rob to embrace his inner lunatic, pushing the limits of sanity (and their friendship) into one merry blur—they come to realize there’s more to life than mere mad experience. They must have a “personal renaissance” or die trying.