Review by Choice Review
This compilation is a more technical treatment of bitcoin and other crypto-currencies. It provides a brief (but useful) history of crypto-currencies. This book is aimed at people with some basic understanding of computer programming. However, even without programming experience the authors intersperse their technical presentations with practical implications and implementations that are easy to follow. This book is not ideological. The authors, while clearly fascinated with the intricacies of crypto-currency technology, are agnostic with regard to the long-run effects of this technology on the world. They do discuss in what ways the technology behind crypto-currencies (and Bitcoin in particular) could have important effects on the world in a variety of fields, yet they maintain neutrality when speculating on the technology's future. For people interested in the inner workings of Bitcoin and other crypto-currencies, this is an excellent book. The authors even have supplemental materials available on Coursera and other online resources. However, those looking for an introductory explanation and deep historical presentation of Bitcoin and other crypto-currencies would be better starting with Nathaniel Popper's excellent and entertaining book Digital Gold (2015). Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. --Robert H. Scott, Monmouth University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
