Once a Bitcoin Miner

October 1, 2021

Journalist Lou (Field Notes from a Pandemic) looks at cryptocurrencies' history, evolution, and future. When Bitcoin first emerged six years ago, some perceived it as a fad, but cryptocurrency has since seen an explosion in recognition, Lou writes, and some companies now accept Bitcoin as trade. Cryptocurrency is finding use as well to pay off hackers who commit ransomware attacks. Even as Bitcoin becomes a widely used currency, there are many unknowns about its long-term prospects, Lou says, especially relating to investment. He delves into these questions using minimal technical jargon, grounding theory with anecdotes, interviewing figures like Virgil Griffith (who allegedly sold blockchain technology to North Korea), and mapping out the underground of crypto mining. Recommend for patrons who aren't familiar with cryptocurrency or have some idea and would like to invest; also good for fans of Freeman Publications' The Only Bitcoin Investing Book You'll Ever Need. VERDICT Lou's book will immediately capture readers' attention with its deep dive into legal and illegal uses of cryptocurrency.--Adesh Rampat, Miami

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 11, 2021
Journalist Lou (Field Notes from a Pandemic) recounts his roller-coaster ride in the woolly world of bitcoin in this colorful account. Lou began researching bitcoin in the early 2010s while working as a journalist, then began investing in it, and by 2017 became a “miner” who produces cryptocurrency. Among the many personalities he encountered along the way were an eclectic mix of showmen, a businessperson who “looked really silly... sitting inexplicably on a blue exercise ball,” and crypto scammers who “peddle a sort of opiate... a hope and a dream.” Their fortunes play out variously as bitcoin values fluctuate wildly, feuds rage, Ponzi schemes attract government regulators, and financial disasters befall investors, in one case giving rise to rumors of a faked death. Lou’s adventuresome nature drives his story—one highlight is when he attends a bitcoin conference in North Korea that provides a rare view of the shuttered country—though he occasionally veers into the self-indulgent (a Reuters reporter “in wishing me well, said something specific about cryptocurrency, but didn’t want to be quoted.... I can promise some nice things were said to me, though”). And his explanations of what “mining” entails are cursory, so readers lacking technical knowledge on mining or blockchains will find themselves struggling to fill in some fundamental blanks. Still, readers interested in an in-the-trenches view of the bitcoin world will appreciate Lou’s willingness to tell all. Agent: Rob Firing, Transatlantic.