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betzal_eel's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
fast-paced
4.75
Frustrating and terrifying to learn this is how so much money is controlled. I feel like the author does a great job keeping the subject engaging and explaining financial and computer terms consicesly and clearly. But I am taking off a quarter star because he does not really explain the significance of any of the memes that come up-- and *a lot* of memes come up. I could still understand what was being discussed, because I'm online a bit too much, but if I gave the book to someone who isn't, I feel like the book would be hard to follow and some of the depth of how much these people treat massive sums of money (life changing amount of money, to the average reader) as trivial, is lost if you don't understand the memes mentioned. Also, I worry that it makes this book understandable for only a short period of time- 20 years from now, readers will have to comb through this book with many tabs of know your meme open. Maybe as it ages as glossary could be helpful? It sounds ridiculous, but I do feel like this investigation and commentary on cryptocurrency is worth preserving, and providing context to future readers is part of that.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Trafficking and Torture
Minor: Pedophilia and Drug use
In one of the discussions of the background of one of the founders of a cryto exchange, there is discussion of the person being predatory to teenage boys, and a few quotes from survivors of his abuse, about his abuse. Specific acts are not described. In the chapters Pig Butchering and "We have freedom", the investigates how some criminal groups kidnap and enslave people and force them to run cryptocurrency scams. He includes quotes from surviors about their experience and treatment, which is brutal. As for drug use- it seems like everyone in the crypto world is doing drugs. The author mentions it when he observes it. Nothing graphic.bookslikegranola's review against another edition
4.0
An entertaining and informative look at crypto. This paired nicely with the previous two books I read, The Smartest Guys in the Room (fall of Enron) and Den of thieves (insider-trading scandal) as a look at how finance bros are always bullshitting their way to crimes until they get caught (maybe through in a book about Theranos for good measure).
I would recommend this if you want an entertaining and informative look at crypto overall. If you want an in-depth explanation of exactly how it works, this probably isn’t what you want, but the problem is that crypto overall is a scam for laundering money, so if you aren’t a criminal, don’t waste your time understanding the niche details.