 Chatwin considered the question of human restlessness to be the focus of his writing . He ultimately aspired to explore this subject in order to answer what he believed was a fundamental question about human existence . He thought humans were meant to be a migratory species but once they settled in one place , their natural urges " found outlets in violence , greed , status @-@ seeking or a mania for the new . " In his first attempt at writing a book , The Nomadic Alternative , Chatwin had tried to compose an academic exposition on nomadic culture , which he believed was unexamined and unappreciated . With this volume Chatwin had hoped to answer the question " Why do men wander rather than sit still ? " In his book proposal he admitted that the interest in the subject was personal : " Why do I become restless after a month in a single place , unbearable after two ? " 
