Taker’s Economy-Book Review
by Tim Wenger
“Taker’s Economy” by Christopher Stewart is the featured book in this month’s Between The Lines. Illegal fire sharing is a familiar face for most who are at least semi tech-savvy these days, and no matter which side of the issue you might be on, it’s impossible to argue that downloading music for free has forever altered the face of the music industry.
“Taker’s Economy” tackles the issue in more depth than I have ever seen anyone else attempt to do, diving into the moral principles of sharing music without consent, and how it scars the “oneness” of the universe. In fact, Stewart devotes an in-depth, psychoanalytical chapter in the book specifically to this topic of oneness, using religious philosophies from major world religions, and the true meaning of art itself to further prove his point that the illegal sharing of music is downright wrong. “And thus, one of the functions of art is to maintain, strengthen, or possibly restore, the individual’s connection to the very source of their existence,” (pg 20). From what I gathered, Stewart explains artists serve as non-biased observers of society, and when their work is delivered without their consent, or in a manner in which they did not intend, it can lose its true connection towards what it was intended.
Throughout the book, Stewart expresses his views from a naturalistic standpoint, a societal standpoint, an individual standpoint, a legal standpoint, and an artist’s standpoint. His views are certainly against the illegal sharing of music, and rightfully so, but this book takes it to a whole new level. “Taker’s Economy” presents Stewart’s argument so thoroughly that it would be hard to generate an appropriate and equally well thought out counter attack. He addresses individual hardships as an excuse for illegally sharing files, and quickly dismisses its justification through detailed documentation.
“Still, just as distinctly, while waiting for the next technological god to be mechanically brought onto the file sharing stage to implement the ideal resolution to this predicament, deciding to break the law is not a viable way forward,” he says on page 6. This message sums up the overall theme of the book, condensing over 100 pages into one sentence. I enjoyed reading the philosophy; in fact, I felt like I learned more about the core of philosophy and religion reading this book than I ever did going to church as a kid, (although at times it seemed to stray a bit off subject to cover the extent of Stewart’s research).
He closes the book with poems and verses, a unique end to a read that turned out to be much more than I bargained for. Not necessarily a quick read, the book is well thought out, exquisitely written, and it certainly has the power to persuade illegal downloaders to rethink their actions.
Online: goodreads.com/book/show/15996970-takers-economy
Category: Buzzworthy
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