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Basic Blockchain: What It Is and How It Will Transform the Way We Work and Live
The only book you need to understand what it is, how it works and how it will transform business, society and our everyday lives. Basic Blockchain is an accessible, non-technical introduction to a revolutionary technology.
'Makes it easy for the average business executive to understand blockchain' -- Chris Larsen, founder and chairman, Ripple
'An essential tool for those looking to distinguish information from noise' -- Eva Kaili, MEP and Chair of The Committee for the Future of Science and Technology
A revolution is under way across the globe, yet very few people understand it. Basic Blockchain will explain everything you need to know to understand the technology that will soon disrupt and revolutionise everything from financial and health services to the property market and how we vote.
Born of an obscure body of research on game theory developed by NASA, originally championed by drug dealers seeking to launder ill-gotten gains, accelerated by entrepreneurs seeking to improve financial access for the poor, funded by giant corporate interests attracted to the potential for billions of dollars of cost savings, blockchain heralds a new era of financial inclusion, legal inclusion for the dispossessed and lower prices for consumers. In short, it will enact radical change on our lives.
In this book, David L. Shrier, one of MIT and Oxford University's leading futurists, explains for the general
- The history of blockchain, its apocryphal progenitor Satoshi Nakamoto and the socioeconomic context of its origins in the 2008 financial crisis.
- How blockchain works, including the core technologies that drive it such as cryptographic hashes and network theory, all described in simple, understandable terms.
- The potential of blockchain, including its impact on our jobs, industry and society as a whole.
Blockchain will disrupt and transform our world in profound ways. This accessible book, written by a global authority on blockchain, is the essential introduction to the next technological revolution.
'Makes it easy for the average business executive to understand blockchain' -- Chris Larsen, founder and chairman, Ripple
'An essential tool for those looking to distinguish information from noise' -- Eva Kaili, MEP and Chair of The Committee for the Future of Science and Technology
A revolution is under way across the globe, yet very few people understand it. Basic Blockchain will explain everything you need to know to understand the technology that will soon disrupt and revolutionise everything from financial and health services to the property market and how we vote.
Born of an obscure body of research on game theory developed by NASA, originally championed by drug dealers seeking to launder ill-gotten gains, accelerated by entrepreneurs seeking to improve financial access for the poor, funded by giant corporate interests attracted to the potential for billions of dollars of cost savings, blockchain heralds a new era of financial inclusion, legal inclusion for the dispossessed and lower prices for consumers. In short, it will enact radical change on our lives.
In this book, David L. Shrier, one of MIT and Oxford University's leading futurists, explains for the general
- The history of blockchain, its apocryphal progenitor Satoshi Nakamoto and the socioeconomic context of its origins in the 2008 financial crisis.
- How blockchain works, including the core technologies that drive it such as cryptographic hashes and network theory, all described in simple, understandable terms.
- The potential of blockchain, including its impact on our jobs, industry and society as a whole.
Blockchain will disrupt and transform our world in profound ways. This accessible book, written by a global authority on blockchain, is the essential introduction to the next technological revolution.
192 pages, Paperback
Published October 27, 2020
22 people are currently reading
127 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 8, 2020
Blockchain might be witnessing a watershed moment in the year 2020 & knowing about this technology is more than essential. Just like the internet in 1990's; blockchain is at that position. It is here to disrupt most of the industries if not all. Bitcoin has already made a name for itself in the financial world. But, there is more to this technology. This book is a summary of the basics of blockchain. Everything you need to know about this technology & also what all industries will change in the near future. A fantastic way to understand the basics of blockchain. More at http://www.markmyadventure.com/book-r...
January 28, 2020
As a blockchain enthusiast, I have taken several courses, read countless articles and books on blockchain but I hadn’t quite grasped the essence of such an all-encompassing force of change until I read this book.
David’s unique style of writing deciphers blockchain technology into a practical and compelling evolution story that is so captivating you would struggle to put the book down. As a world renowned futurist, David allures the reader into the driving seat of a truly remarkable blockchain transformation journey that is forever changing the way we live and work.
David’s unique style of writing deciphers blockchain technology into a practical and compelling evolution story that is so captivating you would struggle to put the book down. As a world renowned futurist, David allures the reader into the driving seat of a truly remarkable blockchain transformation journey that is forever changing the way we live and work.
October 11, 2023
The book is extremely informative, particularly chapter 2. It discusses the terminology and provides a glossary at the end. It also describes the brief history of bitcoin, and the split between bitcoin and bitcoin cash. He also tells you what all the technical terms mean, merkle trees, blockchain, central bank digital currency, Distributed applications, distributed ledgers, elliptic curve encryption, immutability, hash, proof of work, nodes, bitcoin mining, tokens, tokenised exchange. I’ll probably reread chapter one, two and three.
The section of energy and food, and financial services was interesting. I found the later chapters on government, and future horizons (chapter 11) too optimistic and futurist for my liking. Augmented reality, ai, blockchain will save the world sillicone valley dogma. Positivity and faith in the techno-Christian Gods. But it was still a very informative book nevertheless.
My other issue was that the author doesn’t bring ip how blockchain will affect war. He briefly glances over fraud and hacking, but he doesn’t address the security concerns enough. Its a very quick read. I finished it in a night and the next morning.
The section of energy and food, and financial services was interesting. I found the later chapters on government, and future horizons (chapter 11) too optimistic and futurist for my liking. Augmented reality, ai, blockchain will save the world sillicone valley dogma. Positivity and faith in the techno-Christian Gods. But it was still a very informative book nevertheless.
My other issue was that the author doesn’t bring ip how blockchain will affect war. He briefly glances over fraud and hacking, but he doesn’t address the security concerns enough. Its a very quick read. I finished it in a night and the next morning.
March 12, 2020
The book uses concise paragraphs to describe the technology, including Merkle Tree/DLT/Hard Fork, involved with Blockchain/Cryptocurrency successfully. The second half of the potential applications in various industries is eye-opening and insightful. An excellent book for a begineer/someone interested in blockchain.
May 28, 2020
This is a good primer for people who know very little about blockchain to understand what is blockchain, why so many people talk about it and what are the potential applications of blockchain in different industries
August 14, 2022
It's a good book to read in a few hours if you are in a rush. Good for your grandmother or a person who just want to know enough about blockchain to bring it to the table in a family dinner.
But as the title says it's "basic". Not really insightful.
But as the title says it's "basic". Not really insightful.
February 22, 2020
The book begins like most books on blockchain - stating the basic fundamentals. This chapter is the weakest in the book and could almost lose the audience immediately. The second chapter, on hype of blockchains, is a realistic look at how the open ecosystem had affected the growth of blockchain through unhealthy buildup of hype.
The 3rd chapter presents a useful Oxford blockchain framework for any institution to consider how a process may or may not be suitable to be converted into a blockchain version. Somehow, beyond this book, the references in the WWW are sketchy, and all point towards a paid course involving the author. A pity really.
Part II of the book is where the author really shines, in giving a futurist view of the potential influence of blockchain on various sectors, including healthcare and education. The book could just have been focused on this part with more expansion. Or the readers interested in general innovation or specific sector-specific developments could just start on this part of the book to gain deep insights.
The 3rd chapter presents a useful Oxford blockchain framework for any institution to consider how a process may or may not be suitable to be converted into a blockchain version. Somehow, beyond this book, the references in the WWW are sketchy, and all point towards a paid course involving the author. A pity really.
Part II of the book is where the author really shines, in giving a futurist view of the potential influence of blockchain on various sectors, including healthcare and education. The book could just have been focused on this part with more expansion. Or the readers interested in general innovation or specific sector-specific developments could just start on this part of the book to gain deep insights.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews