Start with Bitcoin Is for Everyone (or The Bitcoin Standard if you want the economics first), then Broken Money. After that, pick by interest.
1. Beginners
Bitcoin Is for Everyone
by Natalie Brunell
An accessible introduction to what bitcoin is and why it matters for ordinary people, written by the host of the Coin Stories podcast. It explains money, inflation and bitcoin in plain language for readers starting from zero.
My take
“If I was going to hand a total beginner, I think I would do Bitcoin Is for Everyone. Natalie Brunell really simplifies stuff. She’s a great educator. She really tells the story well and all the nuances, and anybody that has a criticism, she goes over all those and talks about it.”
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2. Beginners who want the economics
The Bitcoin Standard
by Saifedean Ammous
A history of money, from early forms through gold and government money, that argues bitcoin is a sound-money alternative to central banking. Published by Wiley in 2018, it is one of the most widely read books on bitcoin economics.
My take
“The Bitcoin Standard is a true OG book. That one really opened my mind. It really taught me about the history of money and scarcity and Austrian economics. I think the author did an absolute wonderful job explaining, like, Rai stones and the history of money and how Bitcoin works.”
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3. Going deeper on how money works
Broken Money
by Lyn Alden
Explains how money and the financial system have evolved alongside technology, from ledgers and gold to banking and fiat currency, and where bitcoin fits. It covers why the current system works the way it does before discussing what could improve it.
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4. Going deeper on fiat money
The Fiat Standard
by Saifedean Ammous
A follow-up to The Bitcoin Standard that examines how the fiat monetary system works and its effects on economies and society, from debt to everyday decisions.
An investigative account of the U.S. Federal Reserve’s low-interest-rate and quantitative-easing policies after the 2008 financial crisis, and their effects on the economy. It is a journalist’s look at the Fed, not a bitcoin book.
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6. Sound money and the U.S. economy
The Big Print
by Lawrence Lepard
Argues that broken money is the main underlying cause of inflation and wealth inequality in America, tracing how it happened and making the case for sound money, including bitcoin. Written by an investment manager for a general audience.
Essays on how bitcoin is used by people living under authoritarian regimes, high inflation and financial censorship around the world. The author is the chief strategy officer of the Human Rights Foundation.
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8. How money connects to everyday life
Fiat Food
by Matthew Lysiak
Looks at how the modern food system and diet developed and links those changes to the fiat money system. Published by The Saif House.
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9. Bitcoin history
The Blocksize War
by Jonathan Bier
A history of the 2015–2017 fight over bitcoin’s block size: who was involved, what was at stake, and how the network’s users kept control of the rules.
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Want to put it into practice? Start with the Learn guides.