“Junger has a theory regarding why people are not made happy by modern society, and like any theory, it’s got its interesting parts that make you say, “Huh. Maybe…” and its parts that make you go, “Well, I don’t know about that.”
What I appreciate about the book is that it’s got its thesis, makes the case, and gets the fuck out. It’s not like 300 pages long where you’re like, “Okay, I get it.”
It’s also not solutions-based. There are some small stabs at solutions, but like I said, it’s more about exploring an idea than it is solving the problem of unhappiness in modern society.
I see quite a few complaints that the book is mostly about men. It doesn’t seem super clear from the outset, but this book is heavily oriented towards soldiers returning from war, PTSD, and a different way of understanding it. The book covers the history of armed conflict going back to early human history and asks the question “Why do so many soldiers return to society and feel worse than they did in a combat zone?” So, yeah, there’s a lot of focus on dudes. I’m sure if the book was written in 2050, it would be more balanced. The law excluding women from ground combat was removed only in 2013, this book came out in 2016.
On a small tangent, I was a little disturbed to discover that a few ladies I knew were unaware that selective service is still a thing. YES, it 100% is. American men are required to sign up at age 18. Laws on the books say that if you refuse, you can lose your right to vote, your driver’s license, and can be imprisoned. Now, while we haven’t had a draft for quite some time, you are still subject to these consequences for not signing up, and there are other issues as well. You’ll find many job applications will ask, if you’re male, whether you’ve registered with selective service. If you don’t sign up, you are ineligible for federal student aid, federal training, and security clearance for certain government jobs or contracts. The most recent court rulings have decided that requiring only men to sign up is unconstitutional, and the discussion has become about whether women should be required or the draft should be abolished.
At the risk of sounding like the total asshole I am: Maybe the existence of a male-centric book on this topic is pretty understandable. “