Book review: Blockchains : Gaming and Collusion A Reading in Political Economy

Book reviewed by Mohiuddin Kader.
Book reviewed by Mohiuddin Kader.
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Written by Dr Syed Muntasir Mamun :
“Blockchains : Gaming and Collusion : A Reading in Political Economy” by Dr Syed Muntasir Mamun is a first of its kind. The book is a primer not only on the technology itself but also on the interfaces and rich layers of manifestations that this relatively new and foundational technology shares with the political economy ecosystems of the planet.
This book is an indicator of what the entirety of blockchains means for the individual, for the society and for the many tenets of the markets and governance.
In this book, we explore its signposts which determine the possible gamification of this emerging yet powerful foundational technology. A very particular emphasis is placed on the so called Bottom of Pyramid (BOP) markets and the in institutional voids underpinning their roots.
It would not unwise to suggest this book, for the first time, has created a set of very well researched indicators which suggest the prevalence of institutional voids and inchoate demands in the Bottom of Pyramid (BOP) markets.
A wide spectrum of political economy implications of blockchains is assessed. How Blockchains interact with the market and its political dynamics are considered. The book brings out the gaming and collusion aspects of a core and foundational emergent technology in the context of human political consciousness.
The book argues for strong public oversight for both the development and deployment of core technologies so that the individual’s agency and franchise are ensured.
The writer, Dr Syed Muntasir Mamun, is a career diplomat. He completed his higher studies from the University of Oxford and works with the university for building innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems. Dr Mamun has worked on both the South and the East Asian theatres at an academic and policy level.
This book on Blockchains is also an anthology of resources which can be utilized to understand the nature, context, contours and consequences of the blockchains technology beyond the immediate realms of technology and into the shaping of the existential realms of the human individual.
The references used in this book are intended to assist the reader in finding out more details about the ideas propounded in the text. Not necessarily it is that the ideas have been utilized “directly” from the references, but we have toyed with the ideas there and tried to connect the dots to arrive at a pattern.
On top of a rich universe of references, we have made liberal use of the greatest faculty of wisdom available to the human kind- imagination. It is up to the discretion of the reader to find out more and try to connect the dots in his or her own unique ways.
The book, first in a series, makes an attempt to highlight some core aspects of human agency and franchise, and ultimately, the human identity in the age of blockchains and its many possibilities.
Sold on the Amazon at US$ 29 and on Kindle for US$ 5.5, the book is available in Bangladesh only from the net.
This is a handbook for politicians in an age of transformational technology. This is a handbook for the individual to learn using an emergent foundational technology for political aims.
Book reviewed by Mohiuddin Kader.

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