“The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz”—a fantastic documentary, via Farnam Street. To add to this discussion I would also consider the New Yorker’s profile on Aaron Schwartz, ‘Requiem for a Dream’.

“This is the story of a boy my age who tried to make his expectations of the world become reality. Instead, he was crushed by the very system he sought to change. I don’t necessarily agree with his views but his story is as incredible as it is inspiring. “HE WAS NOT a saint. He could be as petty as anyone. But the thing that makes a good life isn’t constantly being saintly—it’s just continuing to do shit. We spend so much time waiting to start to live. He always went big—he never looked for permission to go big. He assumed that he could talk to anyone he wanted, and he was right, and it wasn’t because he was super-special-genius-boy, it was because he tried.” “WE WERE TALKING about the money and about how much debt it was reasonable for him to go into around the case. I was saying, ‘You can get a half-million salary a year as a C.T.O. for some tech company.’ And he said, ‘I would rather sleep on friends’ couches for the rest of my life than take a job I don’t want.'”

I’ve also taken a few book recommendations from his annual Review of Books, most notably Moral Mazes: The World of Corporate Managers.