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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
View my best reviews and a collection of mental models at jasperburns.blog.
Short but sweet. 4/5 for it's brevity and unique subject.
Why, during the early days of colonial America did some settlers voluntarily leave their families and join American Indian tribes, never to be heard from again? Why is that people who survived the Bosnian War condemn it yet remember those times somewhat fondly? Why do American soldiers feel a heightened sense of unity during active duty, but not when they return home?
Journalist Sebastian Junger takes an anthropological view of these questions, examining what it is about our tribal nature that we've lost and what it might take to regain it. Why do tribal societies seem to have a more positive sense of community, respect, and overall a higher level of well-being? We have more wealth, technology, medicine, and education in today's world than ever before. So why are people so fractured and unhappy?
I won't go into all the research Junger touches on, but he's clearly done his homework and he incorporates the scientific findings in just the right amount. The writing is never dry and it's a compelling subject. And while Junger certainly isn't advocating for more war or tragedy, there's something interesting about things like suicide rates, depression, and crime being lower during times of national stress.
Why do mass shootings typically occur in more affluent neighborhoods when guns supposedly proliferate in ghettos or poverty-stricken areas? Why were tribal societies more egalitarian than our current one? How can we get back to valuing the community over the individual?
Junger doesn't have all the answers, but he's asking a lot of the right questions. I'd highly recommend this read.
Why, during the early days of colonial America did some settlers voluntarily leave their families and join American Indian tribes, never to be heard from again? Why is that people who survived the Bosnian War condemn it yet remember those times somewhat fondly? Why do American soldiers feel a heightened sense of unity during active duty, but not when they return home?
Journalist Sebastian Junger takes an anthropological view of these questions, examining what it is about our tribal nature that we've lost and what it might take to regain it. Why do tribal societies seem to have a more positive sense of community, respect, and overall a higher level of well-being? We have more wealth, technology, medicine, and education in today's world than ever before. So why are people so fractured and unhappy?
I won't go into all the research Junger touches on, but he's clearly done his homework and he incorporates the scientific findings in just the right amount. The writing is never dry and it's a compelling subject. And while Junger certainly isn't advocating for more war or tragedy, there's something interesting about things like suicide rates, depression, and crime being lower during times of national stress.
Why do mass shootings typically occur in more affluent neighborhoods when guns supposedly proliferate in ghettos or poverty-stricken areas? Why were tribal societies more egalitarian than our current one? How can we get back to valuing the community over the individual?
Junger doesn't have all the answers, but he's asking a lot of the right questions. I'd highly recommend this read.
Thus book was recommended to me, and I went into it blind on the faith of that recommendation. There's a seed of an interesting idea here—that times of turmoil bring western societies back to more communal behaviors that are natural to humanity—but that idea is couched in a narrative that romanticizes war and conflict, defends gender differences with laughably bad examples, and seems a little too fascinated with Israel. Hard nope from me
My fellow one or two percent MALE Goodreads users -- and everyone, actually -- read this! TRIBE is a delightfully astute and accessible conversation on masculine identity in the global West. Junger's care describing recent U.S. military experiences (Iraq, Afghanistan 2002-present) through personal testimonials as extreme periods of blissful community -- super interesting. What is it that happens in these moments of great fear and interpersonal challenge that cannot somehow be experienced and/or replicated another way? Tribe examines this question with a high intensity that never descends into easy answers. Of note, I was left feeling newly empathetic to my two late grandfathers on both sides of my family -- who seemed to know nothing so grand as their U.S. Navy service during the 1930s and 1940s.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
A great quick read that can be easily related to a lot of things in the current political world climate.
This is a really interesting look at how strong community, and our country's current lack thereof, impacts mental health.
I think anyone with an interest in communal/tribal living, trauma, war, or PTSD would benefit from this book. Even if you're just interested in one of these topics you'll learn from it. In a society where we are so focused on ourselves and possibly our family, what are we missing out on by not having to rely on our community? The isolation brought on by COVID-19 has begun to show the cracks in our systems and this book has made me wonder what it would look like to again live dependent on those around me. The following quote has really stuck with me: "How do you become an adult in a society that doesn't ask for sacrifice? How do you become a man in a world that doesn't require courage?" For most of us we aren't required to really sacrifice or show courage. How does this affect our maturity and our ability to become fully functioning adults. Is this why we see each generation progressively struggle more and more?
informative
fast-paced