It all started with watching the 2012 Republican primary debates on tv with my son and being blown away by Ron Paul. At the time, I was writing a book on the Italian Renaissance romance epic, and I kept getting distracted from my work to follow anything Ron Paul related on the internet. So when I saw a piece entitled "I hate Ron Paul" by a fellow named Walter Block, I immediately clicked on it ready to become enraged. But it started out: "Before the Paul campaign of 2012, I was a reasonably productive researcher and writer. Nowadays, that has all changed: I have become a Ron Paul junkie." A kindred spirit! I suppressed the urge to contact Walter right then and there, but after reading another article by him on libertarianism and the environment, I gave in and sent him an email.