Welcome to the Crypto Book Reviews series! We'll be breaking down the most popular books in Crypto, so YOU can find the best resources possible to improve your own knowledge, and share with your friends!
*Disclaimer: Brutal honesty is my #1 priority. However, I’ve also included affiliate links below, should you decide to order this book through Kindle, Audible, or hard-copy. When you use these links, I earn a commission. Thank you, friends! <3*
FIRST UP:
The Bitcoin Guidebook by Ian DeMartino
Overview
The Bitcoin Guidebook was one of the first that popped up on Amazon when I searched "Bitcoin", so I figured I ought to see what it had to offer.
It covers an array of topics surrounding Bitcoin and cryptocurrency, such as its history, important founders, past scams and successes, and more.
Impressions
The Bitcoin Guidebook is packed with information, so it was certainly worth the read. However, I found it to be far from perfect. Here's why:
The author is very meticulous about being “unbiased”, making it a point to discuss the hurdles, as well as successes encountered during Bitcoin's short history. While it's great to be fully-informed on the crypto industry's story, I personally feel that the author spends a little too much time dwelling on issues from the past that are no longer relevant today.
Call me overly-optimistic, but I believe that for new readers just getting into the space, being drilled with these negative storylines from several years ago could be a bit too much to swallow.
Quotes
"The only group in the music industry that was truly hurt by the Internet was the record companies that made billions of dollars from the creative endeavors of true artists. Just as the Internet has reduced the influence of traditional record labels, Bitcoin has the potential to lessen the power of the traditional banking industry."
"People can send money to each other using the legacy system, but going through that is both slow and expensive...[banks] take a significant chunk of each transaction and collect billions in profits worldwide doing it."
"Bitcoin allows users to cut out the middleman, as email did with telecommunications companies and the Postal Service. Now I can send value to someone on the other side of the planet and it's virtually free to do so."
Conclusion
2/5 Stars.
Most authors covering volatile topics like crypto are cautious of praising their subject too hard, for the sake of their reputation.
I get it.
But, even considering this, I believe Ian DeMartino played things a little too safe in this one.
Due to a lopsided focus on what has happened and a timidness for what could happen, I would not personally recommend this book to beginners. For intermediates on the other hand, I'll bump the rating up a notch, since you already know what the future holds, and could benefit from a little history lesson.
Order This Bitcoin Book
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Thanks for reading, friends!
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-Ben
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