American kingpin : the epic hunt for the criminal mastermind behind the Silk Road by Nick Bilton. is very good

LJ Reviews 2017 May #1

Bilton (special correspondent, Vanity Fair; Hatching Twitter) has written the first and definitive account of the Dark Web drug bazaar known as the Silk Road. Thanks to his access to trial transcripts, web postings of Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht, and interviews with government players and friends of Ulbricht, this book brims with fascinating detail. It alternates between accounts of baffled federal agents trying to identify the ghostly "Dread Pirate Roberts," Ulbricht's online persona, and his Libertarian upbringing and actions. Bilton excels in showing how Ulbricht, otherwise undistinguished professionally, recognized that warring government agencies, including corrupt agents, were unable to police the anonymous reaches of the Internet. Hiring worldwide help to run a marketplace in drugs, guns, and human organs, Ulbricht could demonstrate his superiority, change society, and get rich in Bitcoin. This deeply researched book is a pleasure to read and a nightmare foretold for law enforcement. VERDICT Highly recommended for true crime and technology fans.â€"Harry Charles, St. Louis