Official Review: Takers Economy : An Inquiry into Illegal...

[han87]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Takers Economy : An Inquiry into Illegal File Sharing" by Christopher Stewart.]

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Takers economy is a well thought out nonfiction argument against illegal file sharing, that provides a unique and holistic view of the damages illegal file sharing causes. The beginning is a well laid out introduction in which the author introduces you to his view on the issue and provides some solid arguments against common justifications used by people who support or engage in illegal file sharing. This introduction smoothly flows into my favorite section wherein the author explores the meaning of art and how art enriches our lives and helps us along on our personal journeys. The idea presented here that art can be an expression of a greater intelligence and how that enhances many lives is a powerful and thought-provoking moment.

My second favorite part of the book is the discussion of Oneness. This section may seem to ramble a bit but it is a thorough explanation of how oneness exists in the universe and how individual actions can either benefit or harm the oneness and as a result the individual. This concludes with the view that living in accordance with the oneness of all things can be explained by a paraphrased quote “reciprocity, do not treat others in a way that you would not want to be treated". This chapter concludes with suggesting illnesses are not random and actually could originate from crimes or rather damages committed against the continuum or Oneness. I found this idea intriguing and in alignment with many of my own personally held beliefs about how our lack of personal harmony with the universe and each other negatively impacts our health.

Next there are several examples and also what I would call a parable regarding taking without giving and the results of such actions. Also this section touches on how being in harmony with your environment balances your life and produces good things. Being out of harmony, taking actions which harm or drain the environment excessively without giving back can disrupt your life. The key is to recognize the disruptions or inconveniences that occur as a reaction of your negative actions and to bring yourself back into harmony. Disregarding the “warning” signals that occur when you are out of harmony can result in escalating damages to your well being.

The exploration of the Internet and how the principle of Oneness could be applied there is the fitting conclusion to the formal part of this book. There are valuable suggestions here about some practical preventative measures that could be implemented to discourage illegal file sharing.

Overall I would rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I found the arguments compelling but occasionally somewhat longwinded and I don’t necessarily agree with all the ideas the author put forth which is why for me this was not a 4 star book. Still the phrasing and arguments were well written, thought provoking and have personally affected my outlook on illegal file sharing so I feel this book deserves a solid 3 stars. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading about the issue of illegal file sharing. This book will give you a more educated view of the issue and how it affects artists and you the individual. If you don’t believe illegal file sharing harms anyone but are open minded enough to read about why illegal file sharing is harmful to individuals and to art then you should read this book. If you are someone who believes that any posted file on the net is fair game and artists need to get over it then this is not the book for you.

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Buy "Takers Economy : An Inquiry into Illegal File Sharing" on Barnes and Noble

[Kappy]

Good review. I have never participated in illegal file sharing, and will not willingly do so. This book sounds interesting. However, I am a bit sick of hearing billionaires whining about how much money they have "lost" via illegal copies of their products, so I am unlikely to read this book.