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Bitcoin: Sovereignty through mathematics
What makes Bitcoin so special? What sets Bitcoin apart from every other monetary asset that preceded it? What is a monetary asset in the first place? What is money? What is inflation? Who benefits from it? What is scarcity? Is Bitcoin's mining process wasteful? Is Bitcoin a religion or a rejection of religious beliefs? All of this and more, inside.
105 pages, Paperback
Published May 18, 2019
31 people are currently reading
202 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 13, 2022
Clearly, the author is extremely passionate about bitcoin (and he's a pretty cool dude to follow on Twitter), and I wholeheartedly agree with everything said in this book.
However, it is a bit of a clickbait title, there isn't any mathematics in this book. Furthermore, while each chapter in itself is mostly correct, it is more or less just a lose stream of consciousness. For long-term bitcoiners, it's just preaching to the choir, for newbies, it's a too densely packed enumeration of buzzwords that won't make much sense.
As a love letter to bitcoin, this is OK. As an educational source, it is not structured well enough and leaves all the work of digging deeper and connecting the dots to the reader.
A better work for experts would be Cryptoeconomics.
A better work for newbies would be The Bitcoin Standard.
A better work for the one ready to update their world view and join the revolution would be The Fiat Standard.
However, it is a bit of a clickbait title, there isn't any mathematics in this book. Furthermore, while each chapter in itself is mostly correct, it is more or less just a lose stream of consciousness. For long-term bitcoiners, it's just preaching to the choir, for newbies, it's a too densely packed enumeration of buzzwords that won't make much sense.
As a love letter to bitcoin, this is OK. As an educational source, it is not structured well enough and leaves all the work of digging deeper and connecting the dots to the reader.
A better work for experts would be Cryptoeconomics.
A better work for newbies would be The Bitcoin Standard.
A better work for the one ready to update their world view and join the revolution would be The Fiat Standard.
January 12, 2021
¿me gustó? si, bastante simple y práctico. Además, muy corto, creo que es perfecto para recomendar a personas nuevas que entran a bitcoin
¿de que se trata?: Explica los fundamentos de bitcoin
¿por qué lo compré? porque lo vi recomendado en muchas partes
Parte favorita: Antes de criticar Bitcoin, las personas deberían entender el efecto del dinero blando, la inflación, por qué tenemos problemas climáticos, porque consumimos en exceso, porque pedimos dinero prestado para comprar un auto... primero debemos entender el problema, para luego entender la solución
¿le puede gustar a? cualquier persona que le interesa su bienestar económico
¿le puede disgustar a? Los keynesianos... boom
¿de que se trata?: Explica los fundamentos de bitcoin
¿por qué lo compré? porque lo vi recomendado en muchas partes
Parte favorita: Antes de criticar Bitcoin, las personas deberían entender el efecto del dinero blando, la inflación, por qué tenemos problemas climáticos, porque consumimos en exceso, porque pedimos dinero prestado para comprar un auto... primero debemos entender el problema, para luego entender la solución
¿le puede gustar a? cualquier persona que le interesa su bienestar económico
¿le puede disgustar a? Los keynesianos... boom
February 19, 2020
This book by Knut Svanholm is one of the easiest ways to understand how mathematics is the language of life and how bitcoin will touch every cornerstone of human existence over the coming centuries.
It's a humbling, interesting, fascinating and page turning read that transports your mind into a completely different paradigm.
If you want to learn about Bitcoin, what it is, how it works and what it means for you and your family in the very near future this is an excellent way to start your journey into the rabbit hole.
Take the red pill!
It's a humbling, interesting, fascinating and page turning read that transports your mind into a completely different paradigm.
If you want to learn about Bitcoin, what it is, how it works and what it means for you and your family in the very near future this is an excellent way to start your journey into the rabbit hole.
Take the red pill!
December 5, 2019
In this book, Knut Svanholm brilliantly explains the most important aspect of Bitcoin—scarcity—and how its discovery simply cannot be replicated. This, among many other interesting ideas, is presented well without getting too complicated.
I really enjoyed this book, which without doubt goes into my list of “must read” bitcoin books. Also, it’s so short and concise there’s really no reason not to read it!
I really enjoyed this book, which without doubt goes into my list of “must read” bitcoin books. Also, it’s so short and concise there’s really no reason not to read it!
March 22, 2020
Excellent book!
Excellent read for a deep dive on bitcoin political economy and its role in human liberty. Quick read will convert you into a maximalist.
Excellent read for a deep dive on bitcoin political economy and its role in human liberty. Quick read will convert you into a maximalist.
June 1, 2021
Bitcoin perspective
Good read on Bitcoin albeit I hate that people can’t just stay on focus and have to bring in their creation views or beliefs into everything. Example I could have just said good Bitcoin book but instead I couldn’t help but comment on the authors insistent repetitive comments on his beliefs. Had he stayed on point I could have. Many other references could have been made instead of being religious or the lack their of in to the point of view on Bitcoin, i don’t care what you believe so long as you keep it to yourself.
Good read on Bitcoin albeit I hate that people can’t just stay on focus and have to bring in their creation views or beliefs into everything. Example I could have just said good Bitcoin book but instead I couldn’t help but comment on the authors insistent repetitive comments on his beliefs. Had he stayed on point I could have. Many other references could have been made instead of being religious or the lack their of in to the point of view on Bitcoin, i don’t care what you believe so long as you keep it to yourself.
June 14, 2020
A solid piece from a bitcoin maximalist author describing the fundamentals underlying the Bitcoin network, both from the economical and technical perspective.
From an economical standpoint, the author discusses an 'absolute scarcity' properties of bitcoin and emphasizes its propositional value as sound money. Further on, the author delves into some of the teachings of Austrian school of economics (such as saving rather than spending being viewed as a healthy force in an economy which goes hand in hand with the concept of a low time preference) and mentions some novel ideas (such as money being not just medium of exchange, store of value and unit of account but also a 'person's amplifier' and an 'expression of thought'). Much similarly to what Saifedean Ammous has expressed in his Bitcoin Standard, it may seem that the author also sees the current unsound fiat money as the root cause at the very core of almost every problem that todays' world has; whether it be incentivizing credit spending and over consumption rather than money saving or some of the political responses to climate change. The author further tackles some of the criticism of bitcoin revolving around its high power consumption. From my reading the book I would say that the author argues that the high energy consumption shall be seen as a feature rather than the bug. That way Bitcoin network serves as a battery for storing world's excessive energy and transforming it into some other form. He argues that were it not be for Bitcoin network power consumption, the energy would have been spent any way somewhere else, while at the same time such a substitue consumption could very well contribute to much wider spread environmental polution (e.g. for powering factories in China manufacturing consumer goods sold in order to maintain the ever increasing consumption as a result of inflationary economic policy).
From the technological perspective, the author explains functioning of Bitcoin protocol, hard forks and soft forks, proof of work, mining and explains why there will never be 'other Bitcoin' much like there never will be any other Internet (while also expressing his resentment towards altcoins).
While being bitcoin supporter myself, I would be much more cautious as to conceiving bitcoin as an ultimate cure to everything that is wrong with today's world. In my opinion, all problems simply cannot be attributed to just one cause and are much more complex in nature. Apart from that, however, this book is undeniably a valuable contribution worth your attention.
From an economical standpoint, the author discusses an 'absolute scarcity' properties of bitcoin and emphasizes its propositional value as sound money. Further on, the author delves into some of the teachings of Austrian school of economics (such as saving rather than spending being viewed as a healthy force in an economy which goes hand in hand with the concept of a low time preference) and mentions some novel ideas (such as money being not just medium of exchange, store of value and unit of account but also a 'person's amplifier' and an 'expression of thought'). Much similarly to what Saifedean Ammous has expressed in his Bitcoin Standard, it may seem that the author also sees the current unsound fiat money as the root cause at the very core of almost every problem that todays' world has; whether it be incentivizing credit spending and over consumption rather than money saving or some of the political responses to climate change. The author further tackles some of the criticism of bitcoin revolving around its high power consumption. From my reading the book I would say that the author argues that the high energy consumption shall be seen as a feature rather than the bug. That way Bitcoin network serves as a battery for storing world's excessive energy and transforming it into some other form. He argues that were it not be for Bitcoin network power consumption, the energy would have been spent any way somewhere else, while at the same time such a substitue consumption could very well contribute to much wider spread environmental polution (e.g. for powering factories in China manufacturing consumer goods sold in order to maintain the ever increasing consumption as a result of inflationary economic policy).
From the technological perspective, the author explains functioning of Bitcoin protocol, hard forks and soft forks, proof of work, mining and explains why there will never be 'other Bitcoin' much like there never will be any other Internet (while also expressing his resentment towards altcoins).
While being bitcoin supporter myself, I would be much more cautious as to conceiving bitcoin as an ultimate cure to everything that is wrong with today's world. In my opinion, all problems simply cannot be attributed to just one cause and are much more complex in nature. Apart from that, however, this book is undeniably a valuable contribution worth your attention.
May 4, 2021
This is a good intro for those who came to the Party late to join the after party of Bitcoin, he tries to over simplified the complex quantum strings of the algorithms that run the entire thing while answering all the usual fear mongers doubts
February 23, 2020
Excelente resumen filosófico
El libro está hecho para personas que se están iniciando con bitcoin. Después de este libro recomendaría algo como bitcoin standard
El libro está hecho para personas que se están iniciando con bitcoin. Después de este libro recomendaría algo como bitcoin standard
April 16, 2021
A very VERY informative book on all the fuss about BTC.
September 11, 2021
Awesome book has a great tone great for both experience and newbies into the bitcoin space.
January 30, 2022
Strengthened my conviction
Hit most of the major points. Not technical or dense in any way. To the point and valuable. Great work
Hit most of the major points. Not technical or dense in any way. To the point and valuable. Great work
June 20, 2022
Great book with i interesting poiints of view
October 20, 2022
I listened to this on bitcoin audible podcast. This is a laymans book about why bitcoin is important. It doesn't go into the mathematics of bitcoin
June 23, 2024
Bitcoin is very challenging to understand. This relatively quick read does a good job explaining Bitcoin. Another book I’ve given as a gift to help educate my friends and family.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews