What do you think?
Rate this book
Pirate Organization
A short history of piracy and capitalism
When capitalism spread along the trade routes toward the Indies…when radio opened an era of mass communication . . . when the Internet became part of the global economy…pirates were there. And although most people see pirates as solitary anarchists out to destroy capitalism, it turns out the opposite is true. They are the ones who forge the path.
In The Pirate Organization , Rodolphe Durand and Jean-Philippe Vergne argue that piracy drives capitalism’s evolution and foreshadows the direction of the economy. Through a rigorous yet engaging analysis of the history and golden ages of piracy, the authors show how pirates form complex and sophisticated organizations that change the course of capitalism. Surprisingly, pirate organizations also behave in predictable challenging widespread norms; controlling resources, communication, and transportation; maintaining trade relationships with other communities; and formulating strategies favoring speed and surprise. We could learn a lot from them—if only we paid more attention.
Durand and Vergne recommend that rather than trying to stamp out piracy, savvy entrepreneurs and organizations should keep a sharp eye on the pirate space to stay successful as the game changes—and it always does.
First published in French to great critical acclaim and commercial success as L’Organisation Essai sur l’évolution du capitalisme , this book shows that piracy is not random. It’s predictable, it cannot be separated from capitalism, and it likely will be the source of capitalism’s continuing evolution.
When capitalism spread along the trade routes toward the Indies…when radio opened an era of mass communication . . . when the Internet became part of the global economy…pirates were there. And although most people see pirates as solitary anarchists out to destroy capitalism, it turns out the opposite is true. They are the ones who forge the path.
In The Pirate Organization , Rodolphe Durand and Jean-Philippe Vergne argue that piracy drives capitalism’s evolution and foreshadows the direction of the economy. Through a rigorous yet engaging analysis of the history and golden ages of piracy, the authors show how pirates form complex and sophisticated organizations that change the course of capitalism. Surprisingly, pirate organizations also behave in predictable challenging widespread norms; controlling resources, communication, and transportation; maintaining trade relationships with other communities; and formulating strategies favoring speed and surprise. We could learn a lot from them—if only we paid more attention.
Durand and Vergne recommend that rather than trying to stamp out piracy, savvy entrepreneurs and organizations should keep a sharp eye on the pirate space to stay successful as the game changes—and it always does.
First published in French to great critical acclaim and commercial success as L’Organisation Essai sur l’évolution du capitalisme , this book shows that piracy is not random. It’s predictable, it cannot be separated from capitalism, and it likely will be the source of capitalism’s continuing evolution.
191 pages, Hardcover
First published November 13, 2012
8 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 19, 2024
Interesting book for sure, but the typology of 'the pirate organization' is very meta, perhaps too meta, for a truly systemic analysis. Durand and Vergne set out to define the relationship between sovereign states and pirate organizations, from the origins of capitalism through the modern era. I really liked the analysis of the 'golden age' pirates of the Caribbean, challenging the state's claims on property and monopoly among the colonies and introducing ideas of democracy to the state itself.
What seems more of stretch involves the more modern era, and struggles over the patenting of life, Wikileaks, and information itself. The authors see piracy operating in the 'grey area' around 'normal' capitalist life historically and even today. Sovereign borders matter little in the electronic age, despite attempts at control. Are pirates heroes here or villains? Well, perhaps a bit of both, as pirates are not presented as some monolith, but a fragmented 'force' if you will with many different goals and aspirations.
Interesting conceptualizations of capitalism for sure and I liked the idea of an 'orgology' of capitalism-- rather than see it as a monolith, they envision it more as a complex organization inscribed with various norms that changes over time. Today's 'centers' may not be nation states at all, but large organizations that transcend national borders; of course, being contested by pirate organizations. Fun stuff, and on rereading it for the second time, I bumped it up a star. Third reread (11/24)-- no change!
What seems more of stretch involves the more modern era, and struggles over the patenting of life, Wikileaks, and information itself. The authors see piracy operating in the 'grey area' around 'normal' capitalist life historically and even today. Sovereign borders matter little in the electronic age, despite attempts at control. Are pirates heroes here or villains? Well, perhaps a bit of both, as pirates are not presented as some monolith, but a fragmented 'force' if you will with many different goals and aspirations.
Interesting conceptualizations of capitalism for sure and I liked the idea of an 'orgology' of capitalism-- rather than see it as a monolith, they envision it more as a complex organization inscribed with various norms that changes over time. Today's 'centers' may not be nation states at all, but large organizations that transcend national borders; of course, being contested by pirate organizations. Fun stuff, and on rereading it for the second time, I bumped it up a star. Third reread (11/24)-- no change!
May 31, 2020
An inciteful, complex exploration of the nature of piracy, and how it relates to the expanding frontiers of capitalism. It explores 17th century piracy on the high seas (mostly Atlantic and Caribbean), pirate radio, online pirate organizations, and "pirates" in genetic sciences. It also explores the differentiation between pirates and corsairs and their relationship to sovereign nation states.
This can get a little dense and convoluted at times, but is still a valuable exploration of the subject matter.
This can get a little dense and convoluted at times, but is still a valuable exploration of the subject matter.
January 26, 2013
I liked this book - sort of ...
This is a book about "Pirate" organizations. These organizations operate in those regions of capitalism where the boundaries between political life and economic activity are fuzzy and contested. In earlier days, they operated in between the boundaries of the great mercantilist powers trying to maintain trade patterns over the world's oceans. Today, they are more likely to be found in hot research areas (human genome research and commercialization) and in cyberspace (Wikileaks), although there are a variety of lesser known examples discussed (Sealand). While often disparaged by governments and establishment researchers, these organizations are worth studying and valuable because they foster innovation and entrepreneurship, help break up monopolies and reduce monopoly profits, and generally promote values such as freedom, participation, and innovation that are valuable on their own terms as well as critical to the larger economy.
Get the idea?
There are issues with the book that should be noted.
1) The book is a bit repetitive. Just to make sure you get their points, the authors do the reader the service of repeating them, reiterating them, saying them over and over again, and then summing them up. Without such service, the reader would be burdened with reading one or two short articles rather than a longer book.
2) The authors embrace the conflicting perspectives and tensions that abound in economic and political life. In addition, in any given situation, different actors have different perspectives so the reality of the situation depends on who you are talking to. Pirates to some may appear as corsairs to others. Some might call them criminals but they are also pursuing loftier goals. One person's terrorist is another person's freedom fighter. This is all true - real life is very complex. My problem with it is that it makes for arguments that are hard to follow or evaluate, since one can choose from various perspectives to suit the needs of an argument. I guess this stems from the location of this project in European social science - which the authors are clear in mentioning at the beginning of the book.
3) Some more examples would be helpful in showing that this is an important topic rather than a clever take on some highly publicized examples. OK, I get it, Wikileaks is a pirate organization. Anonymous is a pirate organization. Pirate radio is a pirate organization. Can the range of these phenomena be broadened a bit?
4) It is disconcerting that uncomfortable points are brushed aside or not addressed. The major one to me is that idea that the Somali pirates are not really pirates. It is a bold claim that is not in my opinion supported. More broadly, the issue that these organizations may sometimes be best understood as organized crime is not discussed. A second uncomfortable issue for me was the place of terrorist organizations in this scheme. Because they have overtly political goals as they fight in the interstices of state authority, are they fundamentally different from pirates? I don't see the argument and it would have been nice for the authors to deal with this obvious issue.
It is a fun book to read that gets you thinking. It would have been nice had the authors provided at least a few more clues regarding their own thinking.
This is a book about "Pirate" organizations. These organizations operate in those regions of capitalism where the boundaries between political life and economic activity are fuzzy and contested. In earlier days, they operated in between the boundaries of the great mercantilist powers trying to maintain trade patterns over the world's oceans. Today, they are more likely to be found in hot research areas (human genome research and commercialization) and in cyberspace (Wikileaks), although there are a variety of lesser known examples discussed (Sealand). While often disparaged by governments and establishment researchers, these organizations are worth studying and valuable because they foster innovation and entrepreneurship, help break up monopolies and reduce monopoly profits, and generally promote values such as freedom, participation, and innovation that are valuable on their own terms as well as critical to the larger economy.
Get the idea?
There are issues with the book that should be noted.
1) The book is a bit repetitive. Just to make sure you get their points, the authors do the reader the service of repeating them, reiterating them, saying them over and over again, and then summing them up. Without such service, the reader would be burdened with reading one or two short articles rather than a longer book.
2) The authors embrace the conflicting perspectives and tensions that abound in economic and political life. In addition, in any given situation, different actors have different perspectives so the reality of the situation depends on who you are talking to. Pirates to some may appear as corsairs to others. Some might call them criminals but they are also pursuing loftier goals. One person's terrorist is another person's freedom fighter. This is all true - real life is very complex. My problem with it is that it makes for arguments that are hard to follow or evaluate, since one can choose from various perspectives to suit the needs of an argument. I guess this stems from the location of this project in European social science - which the authors are clear in mentioning at the beginning of the book.
3) Some more examples would be helpful in showing that this is an important topic rather than a clever take on some highly publicized examples. OK, I get it, Wikileaks is a pirate organization. Anonymous is a pirate organization. Pirate radio is a pirate organization. Can the range of these phenomena be broadened a bit?
4) It is disconcerting that uncomfortable points are brushed aside or not addressed. The major one to me is that idea that the Somali pirates are not really pirates. It is a bold claim that is not in my opinion supported. More broadly, the issue that these organizations may sometimes be best understood as organized crime is not discussed. A second uncomfortable issue for me was the place of terrorist organizations in this scheme. Because they have overtly political goals as they fight in the interstices of state authority, are they fundamentally different from pirates? I don't see the argument and it would have been nice for the authors to deal with this obvious issue.
It is a fun book to read that gets you thinking. It would have been nice had the authors provided at least a few more clues regarding their own thinking.
June 15, 2013
The pirate organization is an interesting concept however it appears that what they have truly found is the trend of anarchic organization pushing the boundaries of socially acceptable norms. Admittedly one of the first instances is the sea piracy of the 16th century, however their insistence on the term piracy is a bit tiresome. It only lends itself useful in illuminating the difference between ‘pirates’ and ‘cosairs,’ to display the role both geopolitical and internal politics have when shaping the perspective towards these sophisticated and anarchic organizations. Overall, the book is quite enjoyable to read, albeit a bit simplistic at times. It does a great job of tracking a particular trend throughout history while exploring the possible implications of current and future organizations pushing the legal boundaries and ethical questions of modernity. It is an enlightening read, but also forgettable.
August 7, 2015
This is a book for people who already have a firm grounding in the history of piracy. If you do, then you are in for a treat as the reader gets an enjoyable analysis of piracy past and present. This reading of piracy is from France so it has less to do with the objective world than it does the world of textuality and endlessly defining and re-defining this textuality.
If you are familiar with post-structuralism the reader will get more out of the book then if they weren't. There is also a left of center reading of piracy and its relationship to capitalism. This part of the text is less convincing, but still fascinating.
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars.
Worth a look if you are a critic of capitalism but still see a future for and if you enjoy late capitalist post-structural thought without the jargon.
If you are familiar with post-structuralism the reader will get more out of the book then if they weren't. There is also a left of center reading of piracy and its relationship to capitalism. This part of the text is less convincing, but still fascinating.
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars.
Worth a look if you are a critic of capitalism but still see a future for and if you enjoy late capitalist post-structural thought without the jargon.
September 2, 2014
A bit confusing. On the one hand, I did find some interesting historical information and the perspective on piracy in relation to capitalism was something that would not have occurred to me. On the other hand, some information seemed incorrect, which calls into question the rest, and the authors make some assertions that are rather puzzling. (Somali pirates are not pirates. Ok, now you need to explain and defend your position.) Overall, the book didn't quite gel into a coherent whole. If this were an undergrad effort, it would have handed it back for heavy revision/rewrites, and rightly so.
June 17, 2013
There are really good points here, but the authors danced a line between supporting capitalism and hating it. Their main point, that organizations that operate in areas where law is grey or non-existant get to define the law through their operations more swiftly than the state can respond, is sound. Where the book fell down was the over-use of technical jargon and it's brevity. Wait for the paperback.
June 3, 2013
Outstanding work for many reasons, but the most important is this: it mixes an academic treatment of an important set of emerging issues with a presentation that is approachable by non-academics. While I disagree with some of the points of the authors, scholarship should serve society — and this work does. I highly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews