Read Write Own: Building the Next Era of the Internet Hardcover – January 30, 2024

I don't review many books, but I thought Chris Dixon's Read Write Own deserved some attention. This is nominally a book about web3 or crypto, but it's really more than that. It's (1) a history of our online age told through the lens of how networks work; (2) a well-argued diatribe against our current online lives, which are controlled by a handful of large companies and their CEOS; and (3) a well-grounded and -reasoned glimpse into our possible networked future. The book also provides some useful mental models, like the "casino versus the computer," that help to clarify the industry. The author also calls for regulation and ties the success of blockchain computing to American dynamism in the future. We need to encourage entrepreneurs and startups as part of the engine of the U.S. economy. He also provides a bunch of use-cases for the technology that go well beyond just speculative betting on tokens (which he decries). I also really enjoyed the author's style; Dixon has a knack for useful metaphors. And I think his digression into software as art is just lovely.

There are a number of books out there about crypto as a political/monetary phenomenon, but there has yet to be a comprehensive book about crypto as a technology - until this one.This is THE book to read if you want to understand what crypto is from a technological perspective and how it could change the world. It reads at a level that is accessible enough for your mom who can’t even work the WiFi while simultaneously being technical enough for hardcore technology fans to also learn about crypto.

Dixon writes with great skill and clarity. He lays out known facts and benefits of blockchain tech and in that sense, this piece is a good intro for all Ethereum or Bitcoin enthusiasts. I have only two problems - the practical future use cases are old narratives (social, metaverse, daos, tokenomized startups etc.) which we already saw that it’s not working and that “technology” is not the problem here. Which leads me to a second problem - his thinking is overly influenced by the valley’s “monetization of interaction” needs. Which, again, we saw that is a limited affair.He missed the oportunity the more thouroughly define what could be the next building blocks of digital economy - more details about dolarizing the non-us users, tokenizing real world assets, composable ecommerce to name a few

Anyone that is "dabbling" in blockchain, or crypto, or web3 or being on-chain(I'm sure a name will be settled on eventually ) need to read this.Anyone that has no idea what I just said, need to read this.Don't get left behind with all that is going on in front of you because the realit is that in not keeping up with the advancement in tech and not adapting, this can affect...will affect your future earnings.I would also add reading Cult of the Dead Cow and Space Rogue to get a good idea of the internet before the internet. There are many parallels to what was happening then to what is happening now in "cyberspace."

I could not put this book down. I really wanted to understand what was at the heart of this crypto craze. Crypto and blockchain are quite different than how it’s characterized by the media. The book is full of great stories, simple analogies and lessons that has now inspired me to dig deeper into the right aspects of blockchain. The book makes it incredibly clear that great entrepreneurs should use this next evolution of technology to build their own business without the dangers of being on a “corporate platform” that reaps all the benefits and pillages your business. It made very “scary” concepts easy to understand, and I now have a resource to refer back to as I explain this emerging space to others.

A book about keeping the internet and information pipelines de-centralized from a partner in probably the most famous venture capital firm, Andreessen-Horowitz. Almost a call for revolution and rising up against the castles of power held by Facebook, Google and others, coming from someone who has made a living doing it.His description of the Read era, the Write era and now the Own era matches up exactly with my experiences with the internet and information age going back to the 1980s. I kept saying to myself oh yeah I remember that and that's when I took the next step.Extensive writing on the ownership of intellectual property and the blockchain. Also bitcoin providing full disclosure of transactions with immutable limit on circulation, preventing debasement of it's currency, which protects smaller operators who have less ability to game the system.

Dixon provided a different window through which to look at “crypto” - in fact, the term barely appears in the book at all. Dixon presents the window of blockchains as the a helpful way to understand the future of the internet…and of society. Clear language, regular examples, reinforced ideas. An excellent book to recommend to your tech friends who are still sus on “crypto”