6 sats \ 6 boost \ 4 replies \ @k00b OP 26 Aug 2021
I haven't read more than a handful. I read most of what was available at the university library.
My favorite read of these was Digital Gold. I don't normally enjoy history but this was a page-turner for me.
I read Mastering Bitcoin in 2016-2017. I didn't really do the exercises and was just looking for a grip. I've forgotten most of the details honestly. It was also kind of dense.
On my short list for next Bitcoin reads:
- 21 Lessons by @dergigi
- Programming Bitcoin by @jimmysong
- Thank God for Bitcoin also by @jimmysong and @lylepratt and other authors I'm not sure made it to SN yet. I have a signed copy on my bedside. I just haven't gotten around to reading it yet.
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1 sat \ 1 reply \ @ugmug_old 27 Aug 2021
Just finished 21Lessons tonight and I'd recommend it for sure. Very easy read and thought provoking.
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2 sats \ 4 boost \ 0 replies \ @dergigi 27 Aug 2021
Thanks! <3
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1 sat \ 1 reply \ @abetusk 26 Aug 2021
Note that Mastering Bitcoin is available as libre/free work on GitHub (CC-BY-SA) which is, to me, a testament to the integrity of Andreas Antonopolous.
Just now looking around, Programming Bitcoin is also available on GitHub but looks to be under a non-commercial license (CC-BY--NC-ND).
Oh nice, looks like 21 Lessons is also on GitHub under a CC-BY-SA license.
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2 sats \ 0 replies \ @anthony 27 Aug 2021
21 Lessons is also available as a free ebook from Swan Bitcoin. https://event.swanbitcoin.com/21lessons/
I also recommend Inventing Bitcoin (free ebook with referral link) which is the first book on Bitcoin I ever read. It was oddly engaging.
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5 sats \ 0 replies \ @ugmug_old 27 Aug 2021
Sharing my Bitcoin-related reading list that I've completed so far, and some brief thoughts. Also for some context, when I started reading through this list I was already knowledgeable about Bitcoin from a technical standpoint, but I didn't understand sound money.
- The Bitcoin Standard: an excellent first book for those that are already in an engineering/CS-related position. The first 7 chapters or so hardly even mention Bitcoin, but just give the history of money and its function. Required reading for all.
- The Bullish Case For Bitcoin: also great though I probably shouldn't have read it directly after The Bitcoin Standard, since much of the topics melted in my head in the same pot. However, this is my first recommendation to family members when they show interest in Bitcoin to me since it's a lighter read and quicker to the point.
- Inventing Bitcoin: this one probably wasn't necessary for me but I wanted to read it in order to assess whether it's good to recommend to family, which it is! For those that are not technically inclined, this book can help to correct a lot of the misconceptions about how Bitcoin works without needing any CS background.
- The Blocksize War: I absolutely loved this book. I'm very grateful for Jonathan Bier's obsession over this period in Bitcoin's history. This was happening around when I got into the space and generally ignored Bitcoin at the time. However, after reading this book, I felt the conviction in me grow such that now I know Bitcoin can never be stopped.
- Layered Money: great overview on our current financial system viewed in a different framework, kind of similar to the OSI model in how we describe the internet. Finishes off with some interesting predictions on CBDCs and Bitcoin as the new reserve asset.
- Bitcoin Sovereignty Through Mathematics: this is the book that made me realize what absolute scarcity really means. Though I wouldn't recommend it if you're religious, since it comes across as anti-religion, which aligns with my views anyway. Maybe it's the opposite of Thank God for Bitcoin?
- 21 Lessons: this book gives a great overview of Gigi's learnings about Bitcoin across philosophy, economics, and technology. Every lesson is just enough to scratch the surface such that you'll want to dive deeper into the topics. Reading the online version along with the physical book worked best for me, since I like a physical book when I can but the online version makes it super easy to deep dive through the links on each page.
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2 sats \ 1 reply \ @tlmort91 27 Aug 2021
The Blocksize War - Jonathon Bier
Antifragile - Nassim Taleb
Lords of Finance: the bankers that broke the world - Liaquat Ahamed
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1 sat \ 0 replies \ @k00b OP 27 Aug 2021
I heard The Blocksize War is excellent!
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1 sat \ 0 replies \ @dergigi 27 Aug 2021
Too many to name. I listed some here: https://bitcoin-resources.com/books/
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1 sat \ 0 replies \ @CypherPoet 26 Aug 2021 freebie
Andreas's The Internet of Money series was fundamental for giving me intuition about how Bitcoin facilitates the use of money -- and about how society will evolve around it.
Follow that up with the Bitcoin standard, and you realize why Bitcoin is all that matters in "crypto", lol.