Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging($24.79Value)

Description

Sebastian Junger, the bestselling author of  War  and  The Perfect Storm , takes a critical look at post-traumatic stress disorder and the many challenges today’s returning veterans face in modern society There are ancient tribal behaviours—loyalty, interdependency, cooperation—that flourish in human communities during times of turmoil and suffering. These are the very same behaviours that typify good soldiering and foster a sense of belonging among troops, whether they’re fighting on the front lines or engaged in non-combat activities away from the action. Drawing from the fields of history, psychology and anthropology, bestselling author Sebastian Junger shows us the degree to which the structure of modern society is at odds with our tribal instincts, arguing that the difficulties many veterans face upon returning home from war stem not just from the trauma they’ve suffered, but also from the individualist nature of the societies they must reintegrate into. A 2011 study by the Canadian Forces and Statistics Canada revealed that 78 per cent of military suicides between 1972 and 2006 involved veterans. Though these numbers are an implicit call to action, the government is just now taking steps to address the problems veterans face when they return home. But can the government ever truly eliminate the challenges faced by returning veterans? Or is the problem deeper, woven into the very fabric of our modern existence? Perhaps our circumstances are not so bleak, and simply understanding that—beneath our modern guises—we all belong to one tribe or another would help us face the problems not just of our nation but of our individual lives as well. Widely researched and compellingly written, this timely look at how veterans react to coming home will change the conversation about veterans’ affairs and help us to repair our current social dynamic. “Junger has raised one of the most provocative ideas of this campaign season-and accidentally written one of its most intriguing political books.” — New York Times “There are three excellent reasons to read Sebastian Junger’s new book: the clarity of his thought, the elegance of his prose, and the provocativeness of his chosen subject. Within a compact space, the sheer range of his inquiry is astounding.” — S. C. Gwynne, New York Times bestselling author of Rebel Yell and Empire of the Summer Moon “Junger uses every word in this slim volume to make a passionate, compelling case for a more egalitarian society.” — Booklist “Thought-provoking. . . . A gem.” — The Washington Post “TRIBE is an important wake-up call. Let’s hope we don’t sleep through the alarm.” — Minneapolis Star Tribune “Compelling. . . . Junger . . . offers a starting point for mending some of the toxic divisiveness rampant in our current political and cultural climate.” — The Boston Globe “Junger argues with candor and grace for the everlasting remedies of community and connectedness.” — O, the Oprah Magazine “TRIBE is a fascinating, eloquent and thought-provoking book . . . packed with ideas. . . . It could help us to think more deeply about how to help men and women battered by war to find a new purpose in peace.” — Times (London) Regaining our tribal connections may be the key to our psychological survival Tribal society has been exerting an almost gravitational pull on Westerners for hundreds of years, and the reason lies deep in our evolutionary past as a communal species. The most recent example of that attraction is combat veterans who come home to find themselves missing the incredibly intimate bonds of platoon life. The loss of closeness that comes at the end of deployment may explain the high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder suffered by military veterans today. Sebastian Junger argues that the difficulties many veterans face upon returning home from war do not stem entirely from the trauma they’ve suffered, but also from the individualist societies they must reintegrate into. Drawing from history, psychology, and anthropology, Tribe illustrates the irony that—for many veterans as well as civilians—war feels better than peace, adversity can turn out to be a blessing, and disasters are sometimes remembered more fondly than weddings or tropical vacations. Junger explains why we are stronger when we come together, and how that can be achieved even in today’s divided world. SEBASTIAN JUNGER  is the  New York Times  bestselling author of  Tribe ,  War ,  Freedom ,  A Death in Belmont ,  Fire , and  The Perfect Storm , and co-director of the documentary film  Restrepo , which was nominated for an Academy Award. He is also the winner of a Peabody Award and the National Magazine Award for Reporting.