A Great Month by Month Account of the History of Bitcoin, Though Already Outdated
355467
Although it is not the author's fault, any attempt to write a history of Bitcoin soon becomes outdated by the latest news.  This book's narrative ends abruptly with the mention of favorable comments toward Bitcoin by Bill Gates, which occurred prior to Charlie Shrem going to prison or the more recent sentencing of Ross Ulbricht.  The book lacked the typical closing chapter in which the author attempts to summarize what has occurred thus far and what may happen in the future; perhaps doing so would have been too difficult, considering how fast things change in the world of Bitcoin.

As Churchill might of said with regard to the Bitcoin story, this is not the end, it is not even the beginning of the end, but perhaps it may be the end of the beginning.
2784469
This is a great read for anyone looking to understand the overall process of how Bitcoin/cryptocurrencies came to life and gives you a good sense of who each of the key players were/are.
4106678
A fair few home truths that we choose to ignore and many ideas that I hadnt really contemplated either. Yeah, we are a brainwashed country alright! Might be a bit rusty in places but it doesnt distract from the message which millions don't seem aware of! Once youve read it, give it to someone else to read too, especially if they're trading bitcoin!
2271697
If you want to know anything about Bitcoins and what they can do for you, this is the best source of information.

I learned so much from this quick and easy read. The value far exceeds the price!
3367462
The book is a good resource for someone who is looking for some historical context and an overview on blockchain technology.  It gives you a good high-level broad brush on technology and terms.  If you are looking for technical details, the books does not have them but does have information where to go find them on the internet.

If you are interested in blockchain but not sure where to start, the book is worth your time to read.  It is a fast reading book with some helpful call out to quickly understand the terminology used in the blockchain circles.

Some reviewers have said that the content is all raw-raw blockchain and Ethereum, I would not agree with that.  The Author points out limitations of blockchain and tries to call out practical use cases for the technology.  The Author would like to see blockchain succeed -- Clearly, he understands the amount of hype about blockchain and cryptocurrencies.  If the technology is not used appropriately, it will flame out as a technological curiosity but not ready for primetime usage.

After reading the book, blockchain company white papers will be much easier to understand.  Also, you should have a better context for your hype/BS filter around blockchain and Ethereum.
4105568
Over the years I've heard of BitCoin but never bothered to look further into it...mostly because I didn't understand it. Also no one I knew or retailers I used  took BitCoin as a form of currency. This book clarifies what BitCoin is, how it is acquired and overviews some retailers that do take it.  I really enjoyed reading this book and learning about this alternate form of currency.
1073650
There's a minimum of explanatory material, so you will definitely have to refer to other sources, Youtube videos, and such.

But the author does a nice job of listing a good number of resources (exchanges, forums, etc.) where you can go, for further research.  There is also a chapter on avoiding scams.

Thanks, Lamont.  Just getting started this week, but this has helped to provide some structure, and places to start.

If possible, please continue to update the manual, as conditions change.
2209841
I think that is the genius of any skilled author, the ability to make a rather complex topic easy to understand. This book provide a lot of information on blockchain system and the hidden economy of bitcoin. What I really like about this book and what the author incorporated in great way, is the vast amount of references, parallels and analogies. An interesting read that describes the blockchain innovation from a very high level perspective and in a comprehensible way.
3396668
Andreas is a bitcoin evangelist.  When I first began being interested in Bitcoin and other digital currencies, his videos online really resonated with me as he is an engaging speaker, and uses analogies and examples that are easy to understand.  And because he "grew up" during the dawn of the Internet, he uses his experience of witnessing the development of the Internet from being used only by the "lunatic fringe" to worldwide adoption (to which we all can relate and understand) as an analogy to Bitcoin, digital currencies, and all the other unknown technologies and uses of Bitcoin and blockchain that are still to come.  Bitcoin is an exciting new disruptive technology and Andreas Antonopoulos takes us with him in this book and in his videos.  It was very helpful to have the links to the videos in the book, as I would often watch the video after reading the speech -- it really added to the experience.  Thank you, Andreas, for all that you do for this community.  We really enjoy listening and hope to continue along the ride with you!
2439103
An excellent overview of the various cryptocurrency's and the pro's and con's of both.
This book is a great short and sharpe read. It could be a little longer, but in saying that it's the perfect size for an introduction to Cryto. A great beginners guide!
1403830
The author does a good job of introducing concepts with useful examples that encourage the reader to work along.  There is also a number of interesting historical accounts of usage.

The book could use a bit of updating now though, ten years after being originally published in 1997.  In terms of computational power and encryption research, that's several generations, meaning recommended RSA key lengths have changed considerably and new encryption techniques are in use, most notably AES.  It's also unfortunate the book was not updated when it was translated to English in mid-to-late 1998 since the EFF DES Cracker had just completed it's historic 3 day crack of a DES message.  The book also doesn't mention the 1997 RSA Challenge which spawned that project (as well spawning the first successful DES cracking effort, DESCHALL, in 1997).

Lastly, the author provides unsubstantiated opinion at a few points in the book.  The most memorable being on page 209, where he responds to champions of data protection who oppose authorities gaining the ability to read encoded messages by saying that he "...lived altogether ten years under two dictatorships and value the democracy under which I have now lived nearly fifty years - despite some of its drawbacks.  That is why I would grant our government the right to control encrypted data traffic in justified cases - [possibly by depositing] the key with a state authority, while a private group would make sure that the state does not abuse this privilege."  He provides no justification for this opinion, or for the apparent disregard for his years under a dictatorship which one would think provided a healthy dose of skepticism about:
* a government promising to not abuse its power (where the "bar" for justification drops until it is really no longer even a bar)
* the ability of any group to effectively monitor the government for abuse
* the chance that the monitoring group itself hasn't been compromised by supporters of the government

Despite these short comings, it is definitely worth a read for what it is: a good introduction and a good historical reference.
3920791
(Note: This book has gone thru several editions, 2006 being the most recent.  Thus, only one of the previous seven Amazon reviews --- the 2008 one [all the others are from the 1990s] --- is really pertinent for anyone currently considering a purchase).

The first year mentioned in the book is 500,000BC.  The last is 2005AD.  That's a lot of time to cover in only 247 pages (including indices).  Hence, some of it is about as interesting as  a biblical begat: "Anitta of Kussara founded the Hittite kingdom, destroying Hattus and tranfering his capital to Kanesh, which now became known as Nesha.... Laberna moved the capital back to Hattus --- now to be called Hattuse or Hattusas --- and took the name Hattusili" and so on.

There's specific mention in the text of practically all 37 of the Ottoman sultans, including (but not limited to) 4 Mustafas; 6 Mehmets; 5 Murats; Bayezit the Thunderbolt; Ibraheim the Mad; and, of course, Suleyman the Magnificent. An 9-page appendix provides the names, dates, and dynasties of almost 200 rulers of all or parts of what is now Turkey from the early 18th century BC onward (but not including the Persians and the Romans, although several of them do show up in the text).  Another appendix (8 pages) is a chronology of major events from 8000BC until the above-referenced 2005 (the event that year being currency reform).  Yet another appendix (again 9 pages)is an historical gazetteer beginning with Aezani (the site of the best preserved Roman temple) and ending with Zongudak (the Anatolian equivalent of Port Talbot).

Truly mind-boggling. Also dry as a desert.

One curiosity deserving comment is the noticeable revision of several pages of the text where the type and the space between lines have obviously been altered. Pages 165 and 183 are very obvious (and a couple of others are suspicious).  Since the subject matter on 165 is the Armenian genocide and on 183 an introduction to Turkey since 1939 the changes are perhaps for political purposes.  It would be interesting to see the pre-alteration texts.  Maybe they are what so riled a couple of the book's reviewers from the 90s decade.

In any case, if you want to become a scholar of Turkey, this book is probably a good first step toward your goal. On the other hand, if you're just an ordinary tourist/traveler, the history chapters should suffice in Steves or Cadogan or Lonely Planet or whatever other guidebook you choose.

Bon voyage.
2315886
Easy read, somewhat promotional but makes valid points regarding the future of crypto-currency and its myriad applications.  The book is light on negatives of cryptocurrencies and perhaps does not delve enough into timing of acceptance, competition from existing stores of value and recent delays in processing bitcoins.  Last but not least, the book could benefit from a chapter dedicated to failures and early adopters of currencies
720695
This is a great book for anyone that has no idea what the impact of Bitcoin is.  For those that know the Bitcoin ecosystem, it gives you good solid principles to think about.  It gives you some roads to ponder about how to build things-or invest in things.

The great thing about this book is it is principles based.  It doesn't give you exact paths, but lets you chart your own.
88771
I must say that this book helped a lot in giving me the proper introduction to this technological system. Although at the moment it is far from perfect, there is a big potential for this system. As we begin to become aware of the bitcoin processes, learning about the financial technology becomes more important than ever before. I appreciate the simple analogies used by the author to fully explain the concept to even the most novice of readers.
1571841
I really enjoyed the history of money right up to the housing collapse. I just wish there were a 2nd edition with comment on the last 6 years.
1426136
Honestly, I had no idea what Bitcoin was.  I kept hearing about it and my husband tried to explain it to me, but I just couldn't fathom it.  I bought this book by Benjamin Tideas and he explains in detail what Bitcoin is and how it works.  He even included a history of Bitcoin!  If an old fool like me can follow this book and understand how to buy and sell and use Bitcoin, then any one can understand it!