While this was not the first book I started to read about to understand the Bitcoin, I am glad I gravitated towards it. I started with “Mastering the Bitcoin” by Andreas Antonopolous, but it turned out to be a heavy hitter and with all the code in the book– I was lost (I will certainly get back to it soon). I browsed through Amazon and the web for other books on the bitcoin and was led to this listing which I had tweeted about in December 2016, and I picked up the book by Dominic Frisby (see <<). [image source: https://www.cryptocompare.com/coins/guides/the-best-bitcoin-blockchain-and-crypto-books-our-top-picks/]
Some people on Amazon complained about it being Libertarain rambling, but I beg to differ. Frisby’s book read less like non-fiction and more like a crime-scene thriller and I was hooked. I am glad I read the book and now I am on to other books on the Bitcoin. Frisby does a very nice job of introducing readers like me who were interested and had read about Bitcoins on blogs and articles but never read a complete book about the topic. It left me wanting to delve deeper into the world of Bitcoins (Satoshi, your paper is next on my reading list: https://bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf).
Frisby, I believe leverages his varied life experiences as comedian, sports commentator, among others to make this book a great read. It begins with explaining what Bitcoins are and how Bitcoins are made / mined. One of the most interesting phrases of the book appears toward the beginning where Frisby says “In ordinary life…no one can create money, we only earn it. Bitcoin is different and it is possible to make them yourself…” This is perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the Bitcoin, which has gotten millions around the world excited about its potential. Frisby then goes on to explain how Bitcoins are mined. He does spare us the intricacies of the code and algorithms involved, but does keep the reader engaged about Bitcoins and the entire ecosystem and all the “organisms” it has spawned.
There is a fair bit of detective feel to the entire book with Frisby (among others) trying to uncover who the real Satoshi is. He describes linguistic analyses in the book with respect to coding styles of the people closest to being considered to be potential Satoshis. There are no firm conclusions drawn though, only some hints. There are also his interesting interactions with Ethereum’s Charles Hoskinson who likens the Bitcoin revolution to the one that was unleashed by the Internet. Bitcoin at the end of the day is a decentralized monetary system, disconnected and independent from the boundaries (and to some extent control of governments), borders, and the bureaucracy. That should enthrall everyone isn’t it?
Read it I am sure you will thank me for the recommendation…
Vishnu Nanduri, Ph.D. 