I decided recently to try a new tablet.  I’ve had a 10″ Samsung Galaxy Tab A for several years and it is slow, and not new, and the 16 GB memory is a limitation.

I purchased an Amazon HD Fire 8 and decided to try their “Kindle unlimited” offer.  I can then try reading said unlimited books on the new Fire 8 and learn more and soon world domination.

Since Blockchain is my latest flavor, I searched for Blockchain in Amazon books and came across “BLOCKCHAIN – The Beginners Guide to Understanding the Technology Behind Bitcoin & Cryptocurrency” by Artermis Caro, at the top of the search results.

Now, am I a beginner to Blockchain?  I’ve jokingly described myself as a 15 minute expert in Blockchain.  I can talk circles around anyone who doesn’t know anything about Blockchain or Bitcoin.  I’ve read some lengthy webpages and participated in an online course on Blockchain offered at edX.  I should think this would put me beyond beginner.  Will this beginners guide be beyond me?

“BLOCKCHAIN” by Artemis Caro, linked above, is indeed a beginners guide to all things Blockchain.  I can’t really say too much more than that, as the book didn’t enlighten me much beyond what I have already gleaned on the subject through high quality websites and edX.

The $15 price tag for this book is steep compared to the quantity of information contained.  I wish I could speak in more confidence to the quality of the information, but I can’t as I’m not an expert.  The knowledge laid out – concisely and easy to understand – was in accordance with what I understand on the subject of Blockchain.

I find the biggest problem inherent in understanding Blockchain and Bitcoin is why?  What problem does it solve?  Why should any layman out in the real world be concerned with Blockchain and cryptocurrency?  Mr. Caro does an admirable job in laying out the origin of Bitcoin, and thus Blockchain, as well as the problem they solve.

The book has a nice introduction to the importance of the SHA-246 Hashing Algorithm as it is implemented in Blockchain.  This was new information not covered in my brief reading of other beginner sources.

I wish the book has devoted more space to non Bitcoin / cryptocurrency Blockchain technologies.  The edX course I am taking is sponsored by IBM and uses their Hyperledger private Blockchain product in course discussion.  Though the edX course is of course a commercial of sorts for Hyperledger I can see the value of private network based Blockchain.  I feel Mr. Caro’s beginner guide would serve its readership better if more time and examples were applied to private network Blockchain and its possible implementation in the real world.