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Reviews
American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road by Nick Bilton
amarettto's review
5.0
Wow, what a thrilling read this was. It's interesting to catch a glimpse into the mind of a criminal who genuinely believes what they're doing is for a good cause, but even more interesting to watch boundaries set be pushed back farther and farther until the lines between moralities are blurred. I was also hooked onto the approach different authorities took to solve the case, and watch them come together. Seeing different parties hold different pieces of the puzzle, but not want to give them up due to politics and bureaucracy was sadly realistic.
At the beginning of the book, I tried to come up with theories myself on how someone who is so clever and so cognizant of protecting their anonymity might ever be caught. Cyber crime is fascinating to learn about for this reason because unlike the real world, the intricacies of the web (and occasionally a little social engineering) makes wrong doers slip up at some point or the other because they may not realize they're leaving an incriminating fingerprint somewhere along the way (a repeat-named server, unknown exposure of an IP address etc.)
I was absolutely hooked onto this tale that read like a made-up story, and I'm now on an active hunt for any similar reads!
At the beginning of the book, I tried to come up with theories myself on how someone who is so clever and so cognizant of protecting their anonymity might ever be caught. Cyber crime is fascinating to learn about for this reason because unlike the real world, the intricacies of the web (and occasionally a little social engineering) makes wrong doers slip up at some point or the other because they may not realize they're leaving an incriminating fingerprint somewhere along the way (a repeat-named server, unknown exposure of an IP address etc.)
I was absolutely hooked onto this tale that read like a made-up story, and I'm now on an active hunt for any similar reads!
anneliesepeerbolte's review against another edition
3.5
Certainly an interesting and thorough account. I didn’t, however, appreciate the bootlicking perspective. I agreed with the judge’s reasoning in DPR’s sentencing, but find the carceral state to be sickening, and believe that no one should be treated like that. Cops are inherently corrupt and agents of an unfree state, also.
andrewtungate's review
I did not like the main character. The story is about him and I did not enjoy learning about him and his story.
beckyvh523's review
challenging
dark
informative
tense
fast-paced
4.25
I liked the short chapters - it helped keep the pace going. The author did a good job with the narrative nonfiction and provided details to help the reader feel more connected to all the different players.
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Violence, Murder, Cursing, and Death