As an avid reader, I’m passionate about books. Even if your job is in the crypto industry, reading books (particularly fiction) is essential for career success. I have previously written an article on why the crypto industry should read more. In this end-of-year wrap-up, I’m making some adjustments to include some non-fiction and to provide warnings of books crypto people should avoid.
My top pick for the best crypto books in 2023 is “Number Go Up” by Bloomberg journalist Zeke Faux. It is an engrossing non-fiction book that reads like fiction, as Faux initially attempted to uncover the secrets of Tether and ended up with a much more timely story – being in the room with Sam Bankman-Fried up until his arrest in November. Comparable to books such as “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”, it is a must-read for crypto-enthusiasts.
Another classic suggestion is Neal Stephenson’s “Cryptonomicon” from 1999. It is a science-fiction novel about a twisted World War II with the first imagining of a digital gold currency. If you enjoyed this book, you may also want to check out Stephenson’s earlier work, “Snow Crash” from 1992.
There is one more unusual book for crypto people to consider – “Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers” by Jesse Q. Sutanto. It is a delightful story of an elderly tea expert in Chinatown attempting to solve a murder with NFTs at the heart of the case.
Finally, I would not recommend two crypto books I read this year. The first is Michael Lewis’ “Going Infinite”, which is an overly optimistic account of Bankman-Fried and overlooks the dark side. The second is “My First Crypto Sex Party”, an unnecessarily long 27-page erotica.
To round off the list, I have to mention “Biography of X” by Catherine Lacey, an excellent novel that has nothing to do with cryptocurrency or blockchain, but will certainly make you a better person. So, grab a book and get reading!
