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Tribe

on Homecoming and Belonging
bickjd
Jun 27, 2016bickjd rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Modern society is a thumbnail on the human timeline. For thousands and thousands of years human society had been living in tribes; we spent the overwhelming majority of our time (eating, sleeping, playing, hunting, relaxing, moving) in very close quarters with family, and the greater community. Modern society does not quiet look like this. The author connects this loss of communal living (and the social and psychological/chemical benefits that come with living this way) to contemporary mental health issues, PTSD and the problems vets have integrating back into “normal” society, political divisiveness, violence, child development, happiness, and overall human wellbeing. This book is an exploration through history, psychology, anthropology, and economics. Junger is a renowned war reporter and the backdrop of this quasi-memoir-disquisition is the military. The scope of the story is hefty, the writing is excellent, and the fascination is infectious. “Humans don't mind hardship, in fact they thrive on it; what they mind is not feeling necessary. Modern society has perfected the art of making people not feel necessary” (page xvii). Ultimately, Sebastian Junger is an advocate for a better way of living, a better humanity. Read this book!