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Seasteading: How Floating Nations Will Restore the Environment, Enrich the Poor, Cure the Sick, and Liberate Humanity from Politicians
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In these “thought-provoking visions of the future” (The Wall Street Journal), Joe Quirk and Patri Friedman of the Seasteading Institute explain how ocean cities can solve many of our environmental, technological, and civic problems, and introduce the visionaries and pioneers who are now making seasteading a reality.
Our planet has been suffering from serious environmental ...more
Our planet has been suffering from serious environmental ...more
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Start your review of Seasteading: How Floating Nations Will Restore the Environment, Enrich the Poor, Cure the Sick, and Liberate Humanity from Politicians
Seasteading is an interesting idea. Alas, Quirk's approach is not quirky enough to do justice to the unusual advantages of seasteading.
The book's style is too much like a newspaper. Rather than focus on the main advantages of seasteading, it focuses on the concerns of the average person, and on how seasteading might affect them. It quotes interesting people extensively, while being vague about whether the authors are just reporting that those people have ideas, or whether the authors have ...more
The book's style is too much like a newspaper. Rather than focus on the main advantages of seasteading, it focuses on the concerns of the average person, and on how seasteading might affect them. It quotes interesting people extensively, while being vague about whether the authors are just reporting that those people have ideas, or whether the authors have ...more
Love this...brilliant ideas, witty writing, everything about the future that we need to consider! Quirk is amazing: read this book!
This is a better book than I expected but, oddly, much of it is has only a limited relation to seasteading, as if there weren’t enough to say about a topic that is fascinating in and of itself. I found some of the other topics equally interesting, such as seaweed/algae and fish farming in the ocean (although some of this was overdone, something true throughout the book). I found the long section on medical tourism, which might include seasteads, less interesting.
Much of the book’s bulk seemed to ...more
Much of the book’s bulk seemed to ...more
Having been vaguely familiar with the idea of seasteads (city-states built on platforms in the ocean) since the 1990s, I was a long time skeptic before reading this book. After having read it, I have a whole new outlook on the possibilities of seasteading and its ultimate viability.
It may sound fantastical for thousands or even millions of people to leave the solid land they've inhabited since the beginnings of humanity. But Quirk and Friedman make the argument that it may be the only way to in ...more
It may sound fantastical for thousands or even millions of people to leave the solid land they've inhabited since the beginnings of humanity. But Quirk and Friedman make the argument that it may be the only way to in ...more
Three and a half stars. This book starts off with a plethora of "Club of Rome" type blather; this time with an end date of 2050. It begins to redeem itself somewhat by offering an abundance of solutions all based on and around seasteading. Through a series of interviews and ambitious visualizations it paints a picture of a possible future where many of this era's problems are to be solved by moving offshore.
Food, energy, water and political strife could very well be solved through careful use of ...more
Food, energy, water and political strife could very well be solved through careful use of ...more
Book got me amped. As far as a hype book from a project insider goes, this one rules. Perfect combination of environmentalism, open markets, and free immigration. I think there is a fair likelihood that projects like this in coming decades (hopefully sooner) short circuit the debate of economic growth vs. climate change as sectors like algae farming continue to grow and are able to turn carbon into fuel, food, and profit. Plenty of other things to get excited about on all fronts. Check it out.
This is a very broad survey of rising uses of the sea, from sea-based agriculture to floating cities. The coverage includes some technical depth, but not a lot – it’s a very readable book. It also includes some economic depth, as well as political ramifications, and includes sections on floating hospitals, renewable energy from algae, and the cruise industry. I appreciated the evaluation of the economic benefits of islands and how those could be further optimized with a sea based platform. I
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Really, we forgot we have 2/3 of Earth in international waters not utilized:
Seasteading is perhaps the most necessary jump the human race should make in the coming fifty years (gain traction within ten, disrupt existing land-based monopolies within fifty) but it comes with a range of safety concerns, engineering challenges and will not be easy. On the bright side, we already have the collective capability to crack this nut. It is also in our interests and the planet’s interest to do so.
I live in a society which is over-regulated and too safe, where adventures are no ...more
I live in a society which is over-regulated and too safe, where adventures are no ...more
Fascinating subject, entertaining read, and a glimpse of what the future may hold for humanity. Seasteading is a radical solution that, the authors argue, may help solve a number of serious problems in the world today. By building floating towns and cities, cultivating the natural resources of the ocean, and forming numerous new governing systems, humanity could positively impact climate change, resource depletion, poverty, and oppression.
If that sounds like an investment pitch or campaign ad, ...more
If that sounds like an investment pitch or campaign ad, ...more
The book needs to be run through a copyeditor. There a few textual mistakes, such as "Roy Kurzweil" instead of "Ray Kurzweil" and mixing up survival rate and mortality rate.
If you put that aside, the content is very interesting. I've learned so much more about the international cruise industry, italian city-states, and algae farming. It dispels a lot of myths about seasteading and provides a new perspective of society. It's a fun book.
If you put that aside, the content is very interesting. I've learned so much more about the international cruise industry, italian city-states, and algae farming. It dispels a lot of myths about seasteading and provides a new perspective of society. It's a fun book.
An interesting read. A refreshing dose of optimism about the future of humanity and ecological stability of our „planet Ocean“.
"If you take anything from this, Seasteading is the story of migration."
Not very often does a book come along that makes claims that one eloquent solution will solve some of the worlds top, 11th hour problems. It's more than easy to be skeptical. Our current human skepticism is partially rooted in how much safety we in the developed world expect and crave. It also seems rooted in the lack of political cohesion we see daily around the world.
So many groups of people fighting over few amounts of ...more
Not very often does a book come along that makes claims that one eloquent solution will solve some of the worlds top, 11th hour problems. It's more than easy to be skeptical. Our current human skepticism is partially rooted in how much safety we in the developed world expect and crave. It also seems rooted in the lack of political cohesion we see daily around the world.
So many groups of people fighting over few amounts of ...more
This book has given me tremendous hope that the world just might be okay in spite of humans and because of human ingenuity.
Joe Quirk is very excited about the Libertarian options Seasteading opens, which actually less rule of law sounds like a scary wild west meets sci-fi scenario to me. The book does answer the question why do this and the options for correcting the damage we've done to the planet are the most exciting to me. He does very thoroughly cover what work is being done out there by ...more
Joe Quirk is very excited about the Libertarian options Seasteading opens, which actually less rule of law sounds like a scary wild west meets sci-fi scenario to me. The book does answer the question why do this and the options for correcting the damage we've done to the planet are the most exciting to me. He does very thoroughly cover what work is being done out there by ...more
First of all, dial down the smugness - you have nothing to be smug about. All the exciting developments have very little inherently to do with seasteading. It's like describing the improvements in solar panels and claiming they vindicate seasteders. Secondly, all those successes come with huge caveats and uncertainties. This book is ridiculously optimistic and blindly one-sided. It might motivate people to investigate the subject but it sets them up for disappointment.
A rosy Utopia is painted for setting up floating cities on the world's oceans. Many problems exist for such an enterprise which are glossed over or proven answers are provided. The whole work reminds me of an old Johnny Paycheck song, "Rainbow Pie". Some of the major problems are the ones of cost, garbage and human waste, and potable water.
Decent introduction to the idea of Seasteading (offshore floating structures for long-term human occupation) from people involved in The Seasteading Institute, a non-profit which has been working on the idea for about a decade.
Describes a lot of the potential for Seasteads in the future (medical tourism, agriculture, energy), as well as some of the political innovations possible due to fundamentally mobile and reconfigurable communities.
Not a lot of interesting new content if you're already ...more
Describes a lot of the potential for Seasteads in the future (medical tourism, agriculture, energy), as well as some of the political innovations possible due to fundamentally mobile and reconfigurable communities.
Not a lot of interesting new content if you're already ...more
I am so inspired by this book, knowing that we have a new frontier where:
Anyone can experiment with new, volunteer-based styles of governance;
Mankind advancing science, medicine and education can evolve;
Your fate is no longer decided by your birthplace
Anyone can experiment with new, volunteer-based styles of governance;
Mankind advancing science, medicine and education can evolve;
Your fate is no longer decided by your birthplace
Inspirational and provoking. The future of humanity certainly lies in colonizing the oceans. This books addresses all the practical and ethical concerns with building a new seavilization. This is something I hope to see happen within my lifetime.
This book is interdisciplinary and insightful. It tackles war, environmental degradation, the energy crisis, dictatorships, famine, and more: all from the lens of building nations on the water. Though a generally libertarian book, it's great for people of all ideologies to consider.
Interesting read. However, I wonder why there’s not a mad rush to do this. From the way the author presents seasteading in the book and all its benefits, you would think people and investors would be flocking to do this.
Super over-simplifies various problems seasteading would face as well as solutions but it is easily accessible, not too dry (haha) and the inventions that it explains that already exist are mind blowing.
A really fascinating look into the future of living on, mining, and farming the oceans. Lots of reasons to do it, but lots more work to do to get people on board. With so many doom-and-gloom books about the future on the shelves, this one is a breath of fresh air. Many good ideas here!
The most inspiring book I have read in ages. Can not recommend high enough.
Oh my gosh - this book was torturous!
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