The Freedom of Walking

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The first thing that gives up is the brain unless you're a really trained athlete. You need to be willing to sacrifice your body to every end. So for me, this sort of task of walking sort of came naturally because I've been doing this sort of thing my whole life.

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.