53 pages • 1 hour read
David BerrebyUs and Them: Understanding Your Tribal Mind
Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2005A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
Us and Them: Understanding Your Tribal Mind by David Berreby explores how humans categorize themselves into various groups based on factors like family, race, professions, and interests, and how these categories shape behavior and social relations. Berreby examines the positive and negative effects of these human-kind groupings and provides insights into the neuroscience and psychology behind them, highlighting the dangers of pseudoscience, stereotypes, and stigmatization while also discussing the benefits of shared cultural codes and societal rules. The book addresses issues related to stereotypes and stigma.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
David Berreby's Us and Them is lauded for its insightful exploration of human categorization and tribalism, with engaging, interdisciplinary research. However, some reviewers find the narrative dense at times. Overall, it is praised for its relevance to current social dynamics, despite occasional complexity in readability.
Who Should Read Us and Them?
Us and Them provides insight into human tribalism, appealing to readers interested in psychology and sociology. Fans of Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point and Jonathan Haidt's The Righteous Mind will appreciate Berreby's exploration of how identity influences behavior and society. Ideal for those curious about the intersection of science and human nature.