In the early morning the day after he killed himself, I thought to myself, "I bet he was ill & didn't want to be old & feeble." To some, that is worse than death.

He had a broken leg & a spinal injury previously & it had slowed him down.

scotz was right, the book wasn't even started, although I believe it was a Hell's Angel who gave the beating. Thompson never said he didn't deserve the beating.

If I were a betting woman, I'd say that the beating made him realize his research stage was over & it was time to start writing the book.