Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

“Freedom”

Author: Sebastian Junger

shoutout to my college poli-sci professor for introducing me to his incredible documentary work! This is the 4th book I’ve read so far this year.

1. The Virtues of War
2. The Doctor and the Soul
3. Call of the wild
4. Freedom
5. The restaurant at the end of the Universe
6. The Styles

Notes 01/29/2023:

asymmetric advantages in conflict: “And the basic dynamics of asymmetric conflict readily scale up. Insurgents like the Montenegrins cannot hope to beat a large conventional military in open combat, so they don’t even try. Instead, they do what small athletes do: they stay mobile, they avoid standing toe-to-toe and trading blows, and they strike only when they can get away. Conventional armies burn through more fuel, munitions, and food in the same way that large fighters burn through more oxygen, and even wealthy nations can’t afford to maintain that level of effort indefinitely. The logistical demands of a modern, mechanized army are so enormous that most of its resources go into sustaining itself; no more than one-third of its soldiers are directly engaged in combat, and usually far less. Insurgents, on the other hand, are almost all engaged in combat — often including senior commanders. And they never have to win; they just have to keep not losing,” (91).

“Unfair hierarchies destroy motivation, and motivation is the one-thing that underdogs must have more of than everyone else,” (119).

“You have to put your mind in one room and your body in another and just don’t let them talk, I thought. That way the more you hurt the less you feel,” (129).

Description: “Throughout history, humans have been driven by the quest for two cherished ideals: community and freedom. The two don’t coexist easily. We value individuality and self-reliance, yet are utterly dependent on community for our most basic needs. In this intricately crafted and thought-provoking book, Sebastian Junger examines the tension that lies at the heart of what it means to be human.

For much of a year, Junger and three friends — a conflict photographer and two Afghan War vets — walked the railroad lines of the East Coast. It was an experiment in personal autonomy, but also in interdependence. Dodging railroad cops, sleeping under bridges, cooking over fires, and drinking from creeks and rivers, the four men forged a unique reliance on one another.

In Freedom, Junger weaves his account of this journey together with primatology and boxing strategy, the history of labor strikes and Apache raiders, the role of women in resistance movements, and the brutal reality of life on the Pennsylvania frontier. Written in exquisite, razor-sharp prose, the result is a powerful examination of the primary desire that defines us.”

Link to amazonsmile (suggested charity, Lt Michael P Murphy Usn Memorial Scholarship Foundation): https://smile.amazon.com/Freedom-Sebastian-Junger/dp/1982153415/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=