A book that could have been a small blog post.

As the author is a general partner at a16z, who invests in all manner of crypto companies, I expected a hell of a lot more from the author in making a case for blockchain. But sadly it was a very weak and limp book that didn’t really have much to say. Other than the author’s insane hatred for RSS — why all the anger for a web feed? 🤷‍♂️

Here’s one of my gripes with this book (out of many): Chris states that the “unique properties of blockchains unlock a range of applications that simply can't be created on traditional computers.” But never provides a single solid example of what blockchains can do that we can’t already do with current “traditional” tech.

Another gripe: I found it disingenuous that Chris doesn’t plainly disclose his affiliation upfront with the crypto companies he mentions throughout the book (such as Helium, Compound, Dapper Labs, and Maker — all of them a16z backed)…unless you go alll the way to the second-last page of the book to read that note.

The one positive: Chris does a good job of highlighting the dreadful consolidation of power and control of the Internet juggernauts (Meta, Google, Amazon, etc.).