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timgrubbs's review
5.0
A brutal chronicle of modern life on the high seas particularly in international water…
The Outlaw Ocean by Ian Urbina is an extensive look at how untamed and dangerous the oceans can be…to the point that it sometimes seem “if it happened in international waters, then it stays in international waters”.
Journalist Ian Urbina breaks down many of the modern ways that ocean travel is taken for granted and utilize to maintain various economies and livelihoods around the world.
Showing it warts and all, some of these chapters will be heart breaking as high seas slavery continues to be an all too real issue with several economies.
Meanwhile, I found the section devoted to primate military contractors stationed in international waters to be highly fascinating, including how unruly and lawless they can sometimes become…almost comparable to the pirates they are tasked with combating.
Industrial fishing is by far the most grim area which the book covers (and the main reason i originally picked it up). Various official and unofficial organizations which brutally harvest the life from the oceans and how terribly they profit from it (often using employees that are brutalized by the system themselves) will probably make you lose hope for humanity’s right to survive on this planet.
Read at your own risk.
The Outlaw Ocean by Ian Urbina is an extensive look at how untamed and dangerous the oceans can be…to the point that it sometimes seem “if it happened in international waters, then it stays in international waters”.
Journalist Ian Urbina breaks down many of the modern ways that ocean travel is taken for granted and utilize to maintain various economies and livelihoods around the world.
Showing it warts and all, some of these chapters will be heart breaking as high seas slavery continues to be an all too real issue with several economies.
Meanwhile, I found the section devoted to primate military contractors stationed in international waters to be highly fascinating, including how unruly and lawless they can sometimes become…almost comparable to the pirates they are tasked with combating.
Industrial fishing is by far the most grim area which the book covers (and the main reason i originally picked it up). Various official and unofficial organizations which brutally harvest the life from the oceans and how terribly they profit from it (often using employees that are brutalized by the system themselves) will probably make you lose hope for humanity’s right to survive on this planet.
Read at your own risk.
kimby213's review
5.0
This book was long, but worth being patient for. It'll be a long time until I eat fish again.
lexish00's review
5.0
This is very heavy, you know, emotionally. I have actually only read about half and need to take a break, but I plan to come back to it.
madameroyale's review against another edition
5.0
It's impossible to overstate how impressive this book is. It is a master class of investigative journalism first and foremost, but more than that it is an intensely absorbing read. Given how horrific the subject matter constantly is, it is no small feat to craft a narrative so compelling that audiences have no choice but to return to again and again, as I did, eager for more despite the hardship waiting on the next page. Urbina writes with compassion, intelligence, and most of all, a clear and critical eye, often turned towards himself. I was surprised, while reading, to see him muse on the page about whether anything he does—the stories he listens to, the crimes he reports—is helping the poorest people harmed on the high seas. His self-awareness is a credit to how doggedly he pursues these stories, often at the risk of his own life. He could easily paint himself as a righteous hero, but more often he comes across as haunted and weary and unsure if all this work he's doing will make a difference. But as he writes near the end of the book, the only thing worse than telling a tale of abuse over and over again is not telling it all. I am glad we have this record to read, as every consumer on the planet is profiting in some way from these crimes, no matter if they're aware of them or not.
I've been meaning to read this book since it was published five years ago, but I continually failed to get to it. I was worried about it being too long, or too difficult, to read. Sometimes you simply need to wait for that perfect time to pick up a book that ends up being your favorite. I can promise this one is worth the wait, no matter how long it takes you to pick it up.
I've been meaning to read this book since it was published five years ago, but I continually failed to get to it. I was worried about it being too long, or too difficult, to read. Sometimes you simply need to wait for that perfect time to pick up a book that ends up being your favorite. I can promise this one is worth the wait, no matter how long it takes you to pick it up.
dmaurath's review
5.0
You know a book is good when you extend your dog walks to listen to another chapter. He mixes riveting action of tense confrontations with clear explanations of, for example, why international maritime law doesn't work as intended. It's a perfect blend of education and entertainment. Although the book is entirely serious, I had to laugh at the fun fact that fisherman have "mug shots" of whales that steal their catch and give them names like Jack the Stripper. Added a small amount of levity to an otherwise bleak book (as expected with focus on outlaws) about life at sea.
errie's review against another edition
informative
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, and Deportation
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Racism, Sexual violence, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
megantall's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
4.0