This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.

1. 1. Spam

   A Shadow History of the Internet

   

   This insightful exploration delves into the history and evolution of unsolicited digital communication, tracing its origins from the early days of the internet to its pervasive presence in modern online interactions. The narrative examines the cultural, technological, and economic factors that have shaped the phenomenon, offering a comprehensive analysis of how spam has influenced digital culture and the measures taken to combat it. Through a blend of historical anecdotes and technical insights, the book provides a nuanced understanding of the impact of spam on the digital landscape and its implications for the future of online communication.

   The 11297th Greatest Book of All Time

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2. 2. The Mamluks

   

   Set against the backdrop of medieval Egypt, this historical narrative delves into the rise and fall of the Mamluk Sultanate, a unique military caste of slave soldiers who ascended to power and ruled for centuries. The story intricately weaves together the political intrigue, cultural dynamics, and military prowess that defined their reign, offering a vivid portrayal of their influence on the Islamic world. Through a blend of historical facts and engaging storytelling, the narrative captures the complexities of loyalty, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of power that characterized the Mamluks' legacy.

3. 3. Digital Cash

   The Unknown History of the Anarchists, Utopians, and Technologists Who Created Cryptocurrency

   

   A richly reported history of efforts to build anonymous, electronic forms of money that traces technical inventions (like blind signatures and digital tokens), the engineers, entrepreneurs and cypherpunks who pursued them, and the business, legal and political forces that shaped their rise and fall; it shows how competing goals—privacy, convenience, fraud prevention and state oversight—recurrently collided as startups, banks and regulators tried to recreate the properties of cash online, and argues that these struggles over protocols, trust and institutions anticipated and help explain later developments in cryptocurrencies and digital payments.

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