Book Club Friday's (#15) - Blockchain Revolution

Blockchain Revolution was the first book that truly introduced me to Blockchain just over a year ago... The book was written by Don and Alex Tapscott.

About the Authors

That's Don, on the left and there's Alex on the right. The father and son duo co-wrote the book on Blockchain and it certainly didn't disappoint.

Don Tapscott is a 70-year-old Canadian business executive and consultant, as well as an author, who specializes in business strategy, organizational transformation and the role of technology in business and society. If you ask any 70-year-olds if they know what Blockchain is, the massive majority would reply no, Don truly is an Anomaly in this respect.

Alex Tapscott, on the other hand, is a Canadian business author and advisor completely in the space of Blockchain and any businesses surrounding it. His work typically involves the application of certain cryptocurrencies and Blockchain Dapps into society.

BONUS:Here is a Ted Talk that was given by Don about Blockchain Technology

A little bit about the book

For me, this book was fantastic due to the fact that it was the catalyst in getting me very interested in Blockchain technology, the motives behind it and how it is likely to disrupt many industries in society.

I remember when I first read it, the first few pages are full of acknowledgements and reviews from very notable names such as Walter Isaacson, Steve Wozniak, Clay Christensen, Eric Speigel, Paul Polman, Dominic Barton and Indra Nooyi. This was startling and also a wake-up call for me. These are some of the most important names in modern society today when it comes to power and influence. Furthermore, they are from a diverse background in a business sense, from soft drinks to technology giants, to consulting firms and consumer goods organisations. What this means is that, if the top of the top is reading and studying Blockchain technology, regardless of your background, YOU SHOULD TOO!

The book is structured in the manner where it first breaks down as simply as possible what Blockchain technology actually is and the potential area's it is likely to disrupt. It then goes on to paint a blank canvas of a world with Blockchain integrated directly within it, what it would look like and how it would work and then finalizes with the potential pitfalls and the current difficulties facing the future of the technology. It is nice this way because when the book was published in 2016, a lot of the idea's were just fantasy back then. It is fantastic because now, in March 2018, it is safe to say that a lot of the 'idea's' conveyed in the book have been created and are more of a reality now.

A great example of this is displayed on page 148 where it talks about:
Social Energy: Powering a Neighbourhood

The book describes a Dapp that allows everyone to participate in a blockchain-enabled power grid. Created to reduce costs to customers while promoting clean, renewable electricity, energy efficiency, and storage options in the community.

"So instead of the command-and-control system, the utilities have now where a handful of people are actually running a utility grid, you can design the grid so it runs itself."

A scenario that proves to be quite similar is being played out right now by Power Ledger who are the worlds leading peer-to-peer marketplace for renewable energy. They are making it possible for a shared ownership and allocation model for microgrids via blockchain technology.

Put simply, they are making it cheaper and more efficient in the long run for implementing renewable energy to power their lives.

There are numerous other examples of companies doing big things that were stated within Blockchain Revolution.

I highly recommend the book to anyone serious about getting directly involved in Blockchain technology. It is a fun read too!

Have a great weekend,

Adam x

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Buy the Book!

Waterstones
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

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Other book club friday's

Not fade away
The Art of War
The Wisdom of Insecurity