The Story Of Us

Something has been going wrong in our society in the last few years. Hardwired for tribal life, we instinctively surround ourselves with people who look and think just like us. Yet, now that we live in modern and globalised times, our tribal natures have led us to conflict, polarisation, and miscommunication. Even worse, any attempt at level-headed discussions about our fractured state is labelled as radioactive. How did we get here, and why is it so hard to talk to each other about these issues? Tim Urban, the mind behind the popular blog Wait But Why, has spent years pondering this very conundrum, and he's realised that much of our confusion around tribalism--and the divisions it produces--has to do with the language we use to think and talk about societies and the people inside them. In The Storyof Us, Urban forges a way through this impasse via a bold new theory of society, along with innovative, baggage-free language for talking about it. In typical Wait But Why fashion, Urban tells this story by using surprising new terms and metaphors--such as society as a giant human, composed of tiny little humans, making its way across an evolutionary timeline--and lots of badly drawn pictures. A masterclass in scientific clarity and humour, The Story of Us sheds new light on why society has evolved the way that it has, and why we may be headed towards a rather dismal future if we don't learn new ways to live, and exist, together. By untangling our tribal, Us versus Them, instincts from those that encourage us to be more collaborative and open minded, Urban ultimately reveals the tools we'll need to build a more peaceful future.