Read Write Own

Building the Next Era of the Internet

By: Chris Dixon

Narrated by: Robert Petkoff, Chris Dixon

A potent exploration of the power of blockchains to reshape the future of the internet—and how that affects us all—from influential technology entrepreneur and startup investor Chris Dixon

“A must for anyone who wants to better understand the real potential of blockchains and web3.”—Robert Iger, CEO, Disney

“A compelling vision of where the internet should go and how to get there.”—Sam Altman, CEO, OpenAI

The internet of today is a far cry from its early promise of a decentralized, democratic network of innovation, connection, and freedom. In the past decade, it has fallen almost entirely under the control of a very small group of companies like Apple, Google, and Facebook. In Read Write Own, tech visionary Chris Dixon argues that the dream of an open network for fostering creativity and entrepreneurship doesn’t have to die and can, in fact, be saved with blockchain networks. He separates this movement, which aims to provide a solid foundation for everything from social networks to artificial intelligence to virtual worlds, from cryptocurrency speculation —a distinction he calls “the computer vs. the casino.”

With lucid and compelling prose— drawing from a 25-year career in the software industry—Dixon shows how the internet has undergone three distinct eras, bringing us to the critical moment we’re in today. The first was the “read” era, in which early networks democratized information. In the “read-write” era, corporate networks democratized publishing. We are now in the midst of the “read-write-own” era, sometimes called web3, in which blockchain networks are granting power and economic benefits to communities of users, not just corporations.

Read Write Own is a must-read for anyone—internet users, business leaders, creators, entrepreneurs—who wants to understand where we’ve been and where we’re going. It provides a vision for a better internet and a playbook to navigate and build the future.


* This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF of illustrations and charts from the book.

The most comprehensive and high level view of the technology

The book is full of interesting ideas and history lessons from the past of the internet connected to the development of crypto industry.

Great intro to why you should care about blockchain tech.

Content like this is what should be part of the school curriculum instead of the nonsense currently being taught.

Great conceptual clarity.

A great resource to those seeking to understand how blockchain technology is positioned to play a role in powering new waves of innovation in a creators led digital first economy

Insightful

This book provides a lot of great insights into the future of software and the internet.

Had to listen at 1.5 speed to keep the flow

Easy to Follow and Very Informative

As someone with limited background knowledge on this topic, seeking to learn more, this book provided a highly informative explanation of how blockchain technology works, how it differs from existing networks, how it can be applied in practical applications, and how it can benefit society by fostering a better internet based on ownership and trust. Thanks for writing this!