The Struggles of Freedom

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"You don't have the right to be tired out here because we're all depending on you," she says. "We had to stay like squared away in every military sense, like a functioning unit" There were no options for those who didn't want to walk around and take care of their group's basic needs: clean water, firewood, food.

Journalist and author Sebastian Junger talks about his book, Freedom, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. The book and conversation are based on a 400-mile walk Junger took with buddies along railroad rights-of-way, evading police, railroad security, and other wanderers. Junger discusses the ever-present tension between the human desire to be free and the desire to be interconnected and part of something. Along the way, Junger talks about the joy of walking, the limits of human endurance, war, and why the more powerful, better-equipped military isn't always the winner.