Ben Mezrich Books

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Ben Mezrich is a renowned American author that writes fiction and non-fiction. Born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1969 to a lawyer (Mollie Newman) and the University of Maryland School of Medicine Chairman of Radiology (Reuben Mezrich), Mezrich was a student at Princeton Day School in New Jersey and Harvard University.

He eventually graduated with a degree in social studies. A lot of people discovered Mezrich after he wrote ‘Bringing Down the House’. The book explored the lives of a group of MIT students who used a card counting system to win millions of dollars in Las Vegas.

Even though the book was supposedly non-fiction, some of the people that inspired Mezrich’s characters contested some of the events in the story. Though, that did not stop ‘Bringing Down the House’ from achieving massive publishing success.

Mezrich used the momentum to write additional non-fiction books that provided a fascinating glimpse into the lives of real people that had done extraordinary things, with the most prominent being ‘The Accidental Billionaires’ which chronicled the founding of Facebook.

Even though he ultimately found success as a non-fiction writer, Ben Mezrich was initially hellbent on making it as a novelist. The author was just 12 when he decided that he would pursue a career in publishing.

After graduating from college, Mezrich proved his resolve by writing nine novels in a year. It was an impressive feat but it did little to bolster his career. All his manuscripts were rejected. In fact, the writer accumulated a whopping 190 rejections in the years that followed.

Even after landing a book deal, Mezrich’s first six books were financial failures. Suffice it to say, he had to absorb several crippling blows before he finally got his big break. Few other authors would have persevered.

Mezrich kept going because he was determined to fulfill his life’s dream regardless of the cost. An awkward, average, non-descript geek who spent a lot of time playing video games and indulging his love for science fiction, Mezrich believes that all the failures he encountered early on paved the way for the success he eventually achieved.

He had to learn the ins and outs of publishing, to understand basic concepts like character development, and this is what his many rejections taught him. Mezrich spent a long time trying to find his voice.

For a while, he couldn’t help but mimic people like Jay McInerney whose work had heavily influenced his own. But over time, he discovered his identity and that gave his work the spark that appeals to his fans.

The author admits that luck played a role in his success. For instance, he just so happened to be at a dive bar when a group of rich MIT kids walked in and introduced him to the concept that gave ‘Bringing Down the House’ life.

Though, the author will tell you disciplined writing also played a role. Others inspired his stories but Mezrich had to write them in a compelling manner to attract readers.

Ben Mezrich Books into Movies

Robert Luketic turned ‘Bringing Down the House’ into a heist drama called ’21’. that debuted in 2008. Aaron Sorkin turned ‘The Accidental Billionaires’ into a critically acclaimed movie called ‘The Social Network’.

Best Ben Mezrich Books

Even though he is primarily known for his non-fiction works, Mezrich also writes fast-moving thrillers, with some of the best books in his bibliography including:

Bringing Down the House: The MIT Blackjack Team was a group of card counters from MIT who discovered a system that could bamboozle Las Vegas’ most sophisticated casinos. They used it to earn millions of dollars. Even though this book is categorized as non-fiction and it uses characters that are based on real people, it features fictional occurrences that are used to push the story forward. It also exaggerates some aspects to elevate the drama.

The Accidental Billionaires: Eduardo and Mark felt like outsiders at Harvard. They did not fit into the school’s polished social scene. Eduardo tried to gain social acceptance by worming his way into the institution’s elite societies. Mark took a more interesting route, using his genius to create the system that eventually laid the foundation from which Facebook rose.

This book shows readers how the success of Facebook made Mark and Eduardo’s dreams a reality before ultimately fracturing their relationship.

When Does The Next Ben Mezrich book come out?

Ben Mezrich doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is The Mistress and the Key and was released on October, 8th 2024.

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