It started with punk. Hip-hop, rave, graffiti, and gaming took it to another level, and now modern technology has made the ideas and innovations of...
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Sep 24, 2011
Justine
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The Pirate's Dilemma tells the story of how youth culture drives innovation and is changing the way the world works.
RWD magazine founding editor-in-chief Matt Mason suggests that at the heart of innovation lies an intersection of piracy, youth and business, and concludes piracy to be just another business model. Given this, the dilemma should not be about how we compete against pirates and how we treat them but becomes more about how we can become better by recognising and capitalisin More...
RWD magazine founding editor-in-chief Matt Mason suggests that at the heart of innovation lies an intersection of piracy, youth and business, and concludes piracy to be just another business model. Given this, the dilemma should not be about how we compete against pirates and how we treat them but becomes more about how we can become better by recognising and capitalisin More...
Jul 11, 2009
Nicholas
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jul 05, 2008
Erik
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A good book detailing the rise and fall of youth culture, hip-hop, graffiti, medicine patents, and many other things. Also includes a great analysis of the open-source community and the economic and political motives behind all of it. It's a very music-centric book, linking what we see in the physical world of art with what we are doing online.
This book is available online as a free PDF.
This book is available online as a free PDF.
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Aug 08, 2011
Nura
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Brilliant. Insightful. A great account of modern-day piracy. A clarion call for all to embrace the pirate within us. Mason makes the term 'pirate' cool.
The part I found most profound was how marketers nowadays are quickly latching on to the latest fad/'in-thing' as a way to connect with their consumers which I think is a terrible thing to do (and this coming from an ad person). That latest fad or craze could've have become part of modern culture but instead it becomes commercialized More...
The part I found most profound was how marketers nowadays are quickly latching on to the latest fad/'in-thing' as a way to connect with their consumers which I think is a terrible thing to do (and this coming from an ad person). That latest fad or craze could've have become part of modern culture but instead it becomes commercialized More...
May 27, 2011
Ant
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I began reading this book because it was a free download on this site. I’m loving my free eBooks for the reasons of both environmental conservation & market freedom, true market freedom, not the kind sprouted by laissez faire economists to benefit the wealthy. I really didn’t expect much from this ‘free’ book.
The first few chapters while interesting seemed to rub me up the wrong way initially, portraying the punk scene as a new free economic force paving the way for the do it yourself fre More...
The first few chapters while interesting seemed to rub me up the wrong way initially, portraying the punk scene as a new free economic force paving the way for the do it yourself fre More...
Sep 12, 2010
Ryan
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This truly helped establish my feelings on the many benefits of art and the internet, and my feelings on greedy SOB's manipulating the law to stifle future creativity in this world so they can benefit financially.
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Dec 07, 2010
So far, pretty disappointing -- it's mostly Mason offering shallow analysis of things that most people who'd care to pick up his book are already well-versed in. (You mean blogs are popular now?) He also fairly gushes over anyone who figures out a way to make money off of something with anti-establishment credentials (he uses the term "punk capitalists" over and over) and is basically a giant turn-off. I'm nearly to the end of chapter three, and I'll give him another 20-30 pages before
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May 09, 2009
Bobo
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Mason's core argument on piracy is persuasive, and his observations are good - particularly on the digital music revolution. His closing chapter distills the 'dilemma' very nicely. But he has approached the topic very broadly, and uses it as an excuse to go off on lengthy tangents about related stuff that he knows and likes - largely the history of popular music. His evidence is also a bit suspect at times - some of the stats and facts he drops in raise more questions than they resolve. Still, t
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Nov 07, 2008
Misti
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Yet another non-fic that connects to Gladwell's The Tipping Point. However this was a nice little variation on Gladwell's definitions of viral connections, and I thoroughly enjoyed the anecdotes contained within. This book takes the reader on a merry jaunt through the roots of piracy and the adaptation of various media to give the public what they want and to fill empty niches. My biggest complaint about this book is that the author's connections to the music industry mean that the VAST majori
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Aug 11, 2008
Bruce
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According to Matt Mason in The Pirate’s Dilemma, “Copyright laws are encroaching on the public domain, but if the history of pirates is anything to go by, such laws are not often observed, become impossible to enforce, and eventually change.” (p. 99)
Okay, folks, get ready for a rather lengthy review of The Pirate’s Dilemma, or rather, a brief review of Matt Mason’s book, followed by a more extended discussion of some of the ideas contained therein as they relate to two recent DC Bar More...
Okay, folks, get ready for a rather lengthy review of The Pirate’s Dilemma, or rather, a brief review of Matt Mason’s book, followed by a more extended discussion of some of the ideas contained therein as they relate to two recent DC Bar More...
May 19, 2008
Rachel
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Corporations have a choice to make--become pirates or suffer at the hands of pirates. Mason is a music journalist, so he backs up his arguments with anecdotes from the music industry. I didn't expect to end up with a clearer understanding of hip-hop, disco, grime, and underground radio, but unexpectedly I did. I know Mason's thesis does apply and will apply to every industry, it certainly works beautifully with the music industry--I just wish I could more cleanly apply it to publishing.
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Mar 21, 2008
Nick
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The first 3/4 of the book is about examples of how artists used music and cultural to subvert societal norms and question the status quo, mainly about the hip hop, punk, disco, rave, and grime, pirate radio, pop art, video game moding, and graffiti culture movements of the last 50 years or so. The last quarter explains the actual dilemma itself which is pretty simple: companies should use work of pirates to their advantage and stop spending resources to fight them.
I was hoping for m More...
I was hoping for m More...
Mar 02, 2010
ugh. i read this for a book group that i didn't even attend, but i kind of wish i'd been able to, just for a better opportunity to complain about it. there's nothing seriously flawed in his argument here, i just found the whole thing really tiresome. lots of examples of "pirates" changing culture, and lots of SAYING "look man, we need to embrace this" but... i don't know, maybe i'm coming into the conversation to well-informed already, but this book didn't tell me anything th
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Oct 17, 2011
Jessica
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I really got a lot out of this book - I would recommend it to anyone who owns or is interested in owning a small business! It had some interesting information and tips on creating a different type of work culture based on youth countercultures (both present day and previous). There was a little too much repetition in many spots, and a couple of editing errors. There were also several interruptions in the flow of thoughts, but still a lot of good ideas on the changing business environment.
Oct 04, 2011
Paul
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Mason begins with some interesting stories. However, he paints the world with extremely broad strokes, and the titular "Pirate's Dilemma" doesn't even really make sense. Mason is also obsessed with the idea of 3-D printers and the thought that soon, everything will be downloadable. That may happen one day, but it's centuries off.
By the end, I was tired of the book and Mason's generalizations, I'm afraid. I can't recommend this book.
By the end, I was tired of the book and Mason's generalizations, I'm afraid. I can't recommend this book.
Jan 21, 2009
Grainger
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A very good summary of the evolution of the music business, as well as how intellectual piracy can actually benefit some industries. Its handling of general (including biotech) intellectual property law is somewhat cursory and a little mis-informed, but as it pertains to the music industry it is quite good. I also picked up a few great music recommendations in the hip-hop and electronic music generas.
Jun 07, 2011
Mike
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great concepts, but really not a great writer. the core idea here is that in order to thrive as a business in a world of infinitely replicable goods, we take the prisoner's dilemma (where game theory states its always in our best interest to work solely in our personal best interest) and factor in the good of society in our decision making. if we can benefit society with our business model, AND monetize the new value that the pirates have discovered, then theres hope for a new type of business t
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Jan 30, 2011
Andrew
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Mason, a true scholar of hip-hop, has fused a cultural retrospective on popular music, including punk, rock, and hip-hop, into a fascinating trip through DIY culture, corporatism, copyright, and what he calls punk capitalism. Required reading for marketers and businesspeople of all stripes.
Jan 17, 2009
Dhiren
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Great book about remix culture, collaboration and essentially modern game theory in business.
I learned a lot about the influences of cultural movements and saw things such as the punk movement, graffitti, and music business in a completely new light.
I learned a lot about the influences of cultural movements and saw things such as the punk movement, graffitti, and music business in a completely new light.
Dec 15, 2008
justin
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Good times & learned many things about different people that have come in the musesick 'industry', I just wish these people had read other books at their times of subversions on other levels i guess. I imagine we'd have a different atmosphere and book here..
May 08, 2011
Mark
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Eh. The book focuses on "pirates" who've succeeded like folks from the Punk movement or the Grafitti movement. I found the translations to action essentially useless and even the background somewhat fuzzy. All in all, the book didn't wow me.
Mar 04, 2011
Saugat
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Wonderful insightful book about Hip hop culture, Remix and Open source amongst other things and Piracy in each of the industries. I liked it. The Outro part of the book where analogy with Prisoner's Dilemma is made is the best part of the book.
Mar 29, 2009
Topher
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This one had been on my list for a while - the author had been on either the Colbert Report or the Daily Show, and I made a note to check out the book. I found this one to be well written, good flow, and informative.
Sep 22, 2009
Jeremy
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Very informative and relevant to anyone who works in industries that depend on the internet. Great history and summarization of trends and how companies have reacted, succesfully and not-so-successfully.
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Nov 07, 2008
Drew
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This is a really interesting book. I stumbled across it while researching for books to teach in my comp class, and it reminds me of Abbie Hoffman's stuff, except without the LSD. Mason delivers a very powerful argument; piracy of intellectual property is driving change in today's capitalist scene, and that change is ultimately a good shift.
From flash mobs, to underground music, pirate radio, and punk capitalism, Mason shows how youth culture is turning the tables on traditional c More...
From flash mobs, to underground music, pirate radio, and punk capitalism, Mason shows how youth culture is turning the tables on traditional c More...
Jan 23, 2010
Daniel
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It's not that the book is wrong or badly written, it's just that it's about ten years late for it to be really informative or groundbreaking.
Dec 04, 2008
Lukas
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I really got into this book at first, and it was a speedy trip through the history of pirating and re-appropriating pop culture to serve the underground artists and youth culture. Then the author went a little off-topic for about 100 pages where (as far as I'm concerned) he went too deep into British hip-hop and pirate radio. However, this book is inspiring and reminds me of the things I love most about pirating and remixing what's around us.
Reading this book made me want to grab t More...
Reading this book made me want to grab t More...
Jul 12, 2011
Huma
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Once again, my review has mysteriously vanished. Super short form: very interesting book. Ugh. I hate disappearing reviews. >:C
Mar 20, 2011
Dan
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Several interesting anecdotes in here about how punks, hackers, rappers and other status-quo disruptors have influenced business.
Aug 10, 2011
Glen
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An excellent book - tells how graffiti, hip hop and wikipedia has effected our culture.
