The Invisible Hook by Peter T. Leeson

Book Review & Summary:

This book takes an interesting look at how piracy existed and thrived due to economic need, and that the pirates were not a reckless crew roaming the oceans aimlessly.  The economic principles that make companies and people successful is what was also used, on a different scale and for illegal purposes, to create successful pirate crews.  

This is a good read when thinking about economics or when heading to the beach and want to read something that looks impressive, but is really a fun read.
For me, the ideas and concepts of modern corporate management, marketing, and business being applied to history is appealing to read about.  Do you know things like "market branding" happened before it became a business buzzword and common term, yes probably, but seeing how it was being done in the 1720's by pirates is kind of interesting.
The book took me a while to get around to finishing, because even though it is an interesting read while reading, you can put the book down for several days or a week and not feel the burning desire to know what happens next.  This is because there are interesting concepts, but it is not a story to follow.  Overall I think it is an interesting read and recommend the book to those interested in Freakanomics, economics, and pirates, because it is all three rolled into one.

Rating:

4 out of 5 books - while interesting the author did repeat or overwrite some chapters.

Suggested Reading:

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