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The Outlaw Ocean, by Ian Urbina

In 2015, The New York Times started a series of articles by Ian Urbina covering portions of what you will find in "The Outlaw Ocean". This article series won seven major awards. Ian Urbina received the Pulitzer Prize for his reporting:

Some of the most impactful developments in our lives have in common that they are too complex to describe with just a few statements, that they seem to be far away and can be dealt with later, and that an increasing number of our populist political leaders are sporting a systemic mental problem with facts about them. Examples of such developments are, among others, climate change, the corona pandemic, and the rapid extinction of species.

Todays reading recommendation covers similar ground in many ways. Ask yourself what part of our planet we know least about and discover: it is the ocean! Whether you are a landlubber and maintain a great respect for the seemingly endless water surface, always viewed safely from the beaches; whether you love seafood and wish to know more about its sources; whether you are concerned about human rights, no exceptions granted; whether you prefer the world to be a lawful place and wish to trust your politicians; whether you are an optimist and don’t want to believe slavery still exists; whether you love ocean cruises as your way of vacation; or whether you simply enjoy stories about human life, survival and crime, assuming they are just fantasy of the author? You are up for not just one surprise…

“The Outlaw Ocean” by investigative journalist Ian Urbina is the most mind-blowing story about that far-away space, perceived to be endless not only in area but also in resources. And it's about what we humans are doing out there when rules are made by business and law enforcement is conspicuous by its absence. Urbina's writing is not about fantasy…!

It has been a while that I was taken this far beyond my own imagination…

Go to Outlaw Ocean and consider supporting Ian's work. The book has been published by Penguin Random House, UK in 2019 (ISBN 9781473568709). It is available in other languages too ... French, German and Dutch. Please click here for the feedback form, we are curious to hear about your thoughts.