Freedom: An Exploration of Liberty by Sebastian Junger, Ph.D.

Bones: They provided prompt service and a high quality product.

United States on Mar 22, 2024

Thomas Thornton: A well written quick read for those who take their freedom for granted or guaranteed because they are U.S. citizens

United States on Mar 11, 2024

no name: Interesting journey with lots of historical references. What does freedom entail, who has it and to what ends would you fight for it. Unlike his other books this reads like a journal without much personal context. Still good read

United States on Jun 11, 2023

Tyler Keay: Quick read and a different perspective of what freedom means.

Canada on May 03, 2022

Richard K: Freedom

In a journey through the forgotten highways of north America, Junger explores the trade-off between freedom and security, the unspoken price paid by our ancestors for our present way of life. We continue to pay it. The resulting narrative is reminiscent of Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" and Pirsig's "Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" (minus the spectre of mental illness). From pre-history to present the author examines the cost to the individual for civilization and progress, without the romanticism and nostalgia so often endemic in this discussion. Drawing on personal experience Junger discusses the reality of defending "our people" in a globalised world and the ancient instincts that direct our loyalty and trust. A logical extension of themes developed in his earlier books "Tribe" and "War", this is compelling reading for anyone concerned with the trajectory of our society into the near future.

United Kingdom on Jun 27, 2021

Bartleby (scrivner): Maybe Junger has not yet decided what kind of writer he is, journalist, historian, story-teller, or what. this book has all of the above elements but unfortunatley does not cohere into a recognizable genre, although Jumget always gets to insert broad strokes of masculinity and bro' nation. I'd have liked at least to have had his " crew" more identified and described, who or what were or are they. It's almost like a troop of not boy scouts but explorer scouts off on an adventure. They do some hiding, law-breaking, etc. but they are the legion without a name. Where did he recruit the bro's, and he appears to assign himself as the Alpha male. More of the story should have centered on "them" and less Scholarship would have been refreshing. Just recounting histories and taking on the heavy task of dealing with "Freedom" and offering tid bits makes this book a hodge podge of this and that withouth a strong center. It's also too short and incomplete, it does not satisfyingly jell. And instead ot the long list of citations, books I read and
research I did, footnotes and a bibliography would have taken care of that. So I question the editors about a poor structuring...is this just a...

United States on May 30, 2021

C: This unique book is best described as part travel journal, part history book, and part philosophy lecture. There is no rigid structure, Junger just alternates back and forth between detailing the perils of walking along the railroads with his group of friends, explaining the history of the American frontier, and contemplating philosophical ideas like the nature of freedom. I found this chaotic style to be very compelling, the book really held my interest and I had to finish it in one sitting. Junger weaves historical data about the area into his description of his journey so naturally, making insightful comparisons and conveying the feelings of his experiences.

The book starts off by jumping right into the journey. There is no introduction, forward, preface, or table of contents; Junger just starts with a description of how the landscape changed after his group had traveled past Harrisburg. He does an excellent job of giving you a sense of what it is like on this kind of walking journey, with vivid, gritty descriptions of the environment; the sights, sounds and dangers of the surrounding areas. There is a great deal of Native American history in the book, about not only the...

United States on May 18, 2021