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Steven Johnson

What Steven Johnson thinks about government

@steven-johnson · 16 positions · On ppll ↗

Non-fiction writer, podcaster and occasional TV host. Author of thirteen books including The Ghost Map, Where Good Ideas Come From and Extra Life, host of the PBS series How We Got To Now, and author of the Adjacent Possible newsletter on innovation.

Steven Johnson did not write this page.

We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.

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Only Steven Johnson on government. See everyone on government

3 dated positions, 2026, in their own words. Our reading of what Steven Johnson has said — not written or endorsed by them.

3 positions so far — this page is not yet offered to search engines.

  1. Our readingA true pirate is defined by rejecting the authority of nations and empires altogether, not merely by breaking their laws.

    Their wordsTo be a true pirate implies a broader disavowal. The pirate renounces the long-distance authorities of nations and empires.

    ↗The Uses Of Terroradjacentpossible.substack.com 1st of 2 in this piece

  2. 4 months earlier

  3. Our readingRoot crops resist state taxation better than grain because they can be harvested piecemeal and stored underground.

    Their wordsEven other domesticated foods like root crops and tubers proved remarkably resistant to the tax collector, because they grow underground and can safely be left in the soil for months, even years.

    ↗The Legible Societyadjacentpossible.substack.com 1st of 2 in this piece

  4. 5 weeks earlier

  5. Our readingA society structured to resist being catalogued and taxed by a central authority is for the same reason resistant to being reconstructed by archaeologists.

    Their wordsAnd what makes a society illegible to the tax collector also makes it illegible to the traditional archaeologist.

    ↗Back To The Gardenadjacentpossible.substack.com 3rd of 3 in this piece