Review
From the book jacket:
There are so many ways to sort people. We all do it, all the time. From
everyday decisions (whom to invite to dinner?) to life choices (whom to marry?)
to the great turning points of history (whom to war against?), we're guided by
an ever-present sense, in any situation, of who belongs with whom, and what that
belonging means. Everyone is part of many groups at once, of course - you might be
a woman, a parent, a Republican, an American, and a Hindu. So, how do we decide
which identities matter? Why do they matter so much? What makes people willing
to die, or to kill, for a religion, nation, race, or caste?
We can't live without our tribal sense. It tells us who we are and how we
should behave. It frees us from the narrow confines of the self, linking us to
others and the past and the future. Some condemn this instinct, as if it...
Beyond the Book
David Berreby says, "
Us And Them is a book about research and ideas. But I suppose its emotional
roots are in my struggles to cope with people who think their way of dividing up
humanity must be the only one around."
If you enjoy the except at BookBrowse, you might also enjoy Berreby's
Us and Them
Blog.
