Them

Why We Hate Each Other--and How to Heal

De: Ben Sasse

Narrado por: Ben Sasse

This program is read by the author.

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Vanishing American Adult, an intimate and urgent assessment of the existential crisis facing our nation.

Something is wrong. We all know it.

American life expectancy is declining for a third straight year. Birth rates are dropping. Nearly half of us think the other political party isn’t just wrong; they’re evil. We’re the richest country in history, but we’ve never been more pessimistic.

What’s causing the despair?

In Them, bestselling author and U.S. senator Ben Sasse argues that, contrary to conventional wisdom, our crisis isn’t really about politics. It’s that we’re so lonely we can’t see straight—and it bubbles out as anger.

Local communities are collapsing. Across the nation, little leagues are disappearing, Rotary clubs are dwindling, and in all likelihood, we don’t know the neighbor two doors down. Work isn’t what we’d hoped: less certainty, few lifelong coworkers, shallow purpose. Stable families and enduring friendships—life’s fundamental pillars—are in statistical freefall.

As traditional tribes of place evaporate, we rally against common enemies so we can feel part of a team. No institutions command widespread public trust, enabling foreign intelligence agencies to use technology to pick the scabs on our toxic divisions. We’re in danger of half of us believing different facts than the other half, and the digital revolution throws gas on the fire.

There’s a path forward—but reversing our decline requires something radical: a rediscovery of real places and human-to-human relationships. Even as technology nudges us to become rootless, Sasse shows how only a recovery of rootedness can heal our lonely souls.

America wants you to be happy, but more urgently, America needs you to love your neighbor and connect with your community. Fixing what's wrong with the country depends on it.

Praise for Them:

“Sasse is highly attuned to the cultural sources of our current discontents and dysfunctions...Them is not so much a lament for a bygone era as an attempt to diagnose and repair what has led us to this moment of spittle-flecked rage...a step toward healing a hurting nation.” — National Review

Encouraging and Thoughtful

As a middle of the road, slightly left of center guy, I probably disagree with Senator Sasse on 95% of politics talking points. I felt like as a fellow citizen, I agreed with 99% of what Sasse wrote about here. There is a bigger tribe of reasonable humans out there than not, we just need more discussions like this one to drown out the noise.

I like Ben sasse

Great book and we'll structured. I found the book successfully non partisan. it's the sort of book that could give one hope even if it's a little depressing sometimes.

Excellent

Add another to what should be required reading for everyone. Set aside difference, unplug from technology, love and serve one another.

Well written and excellent content

This is a book for every person on the planet. Not only is the topic extremely important at this time in our culture, but it is also well written. A friend recommended this book to me and I can’t thank him enough for it.

Great Listen

Awesome book, will listen to again. Lots of good takeaways, and understanding of a lot of social issues.