The Infinite Machine, Camila Russo (7/10)

Rating: 7/10

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🤔 Pre Read Exercise: What Do I Know About This Topic/Book?

• Book – I have very little context on what this book is about beyond what I can glean from the name and that it’s about Ethereum. My friend recommended it to me on Twitter, and I immediately downloaded it and started reading it!
• Topic – I know it’s something crypto-related, especially in the context of Ethereum and builders, but not too much else! I understand the basics of Crypto, Blockchain, web3, ETH, etc., but I don’t understand some of the “technological building blocks” behind web3 and how Ethereum smart contracts facilitate composability within that ecosystem and across others. Very keen and curious to learn more.

🚀 The Book in 3 Sentences

1. An animated, colorful, and non-technical history of Ethereum
2. Light and face-paced, similar to a Michael Lewis book or long FT/Bloomberg story
3. A concise breakdown of the people behind Ethereum and the challenges the project and those individuals have faced and had to overcome

🎨 Impressions

I liked this book because it was a fun, animated, and fast-paced history of Ethereum. It captures the zeitgeist very well, and, as a reader, I felt part of Ethereum’s rollercoaster journey to date, from idea to founding and building in bull and bear.

The book is well-researched and includes just the right level of detail – there’s no unnecessary information, like what Vitalik was wearing or the temperature of the room.

The book is narrative-driven and focuses mostly on the cultural aspects of Ethereum. It’s quite objective and draws attention to a range of different considerations when it comes to the technology, its community, and broader global implications.

I would have liked to see more discussion around things like NFTs, the environment, and the various use cases Ethereum may facilitate in the future (i.e., why is everyone so excited beyond just a global supercomputer in the cloud?).

I would also have preferred for the book to touch on more of the nuts and bolts of the technology itself. As someone non-technical, I’m always looking to learn more about what’s required from a technology architecture and expertise perspective to pull off something so revolutionary.

🔍 How I Discovered It

• My friend recommended it to me on Twitter.

🥰 Who Would Like It?

• Anyone interested in Eth / Crypto and tech trends.