While doing some research for satwize I came across what I believe is the first bitcoin book ever written. It was published as a kindle eBook on July 2, 2011. I cannot locate any evidence of physical copies being printed. The author is Marcos Sausilitos. He published a few other ebooks on Amazon too, but I can't find any information about him, and the email address listed on Amazon is not accessible anymore. The name is possibly a pseudonym.

Use of the plural noun "bitcoins" is a telltale sign that it was written in the early years. The above cover appears on the Amazon listing, but I don't know if it was ever used elsewhere. The kindle license is still available for download on the Amazon site. I paid $3.99.

My Impressions

At 21 pages it is really more a pamphlet than a book.

The document begins with a quote:

"Emergencies" have always been the pretext on which the safeguards of individual liberty have been eroded."

• Friedrich August Hayek

The Hayek reference reveals his politics, but the book itself never makes a philosophical or political case for bitcoin.
The author instead focuses on providing practical instruction on using the wallet, mining bitcoin on a computer, and keeping bitcoin secure.

Here are a few screenshots that were included as instructional aids:

This is the passage that really caught my attention:

In June of 2011, I watched BTC travel from $15 to low $30s to $.01 in a matter of days. This presented a tremendous opportunity for traders and speculators, in my view. The drop to $.01 was short lived however, and came right back to $17ish, and was due to an exchange being compromised. I feel it’s important to realize in a truly free market with a speculative commodity, the price changes can be epic, and are not advised for anyone with a weak stomach. However, for former traders, a relief and paradise not seen in the algorithm controlled bot-net we now call ‘Wall Street’ the adventure will be a pleasant welcome to the world of digital currencies.

This was a description of the first MT Gox hack. He certainly wasn't discouraged or upset by it. I doubt he was a victim, since he seems to have appreciated the volatility.

The book ends with an FAQ, a final Hayek quote (not "sly roundabout way") and a legacy P2PKH address for donations.

**Should You Buy It?"

The kindle license is cheap, it only takes about a half hour to read at most, and it is an historical artifact, so maybe?