Book Review: Working with Blockchain – A Practical Guide to Bitcoin and Distributed Ledger Technology

Bob Emmerson

“Working with Blockchain: All the Basics” delivers a concise, clear overview of Bitcoin and Distributed Ledger Technology, illuminating how they are reshaping business. While Bitcoin has attracted much online hype, this book keeps the business case front‑and‑center and backs it with real‑world use cases.

The central message is clear: “Business over the Internet is built on outdated rules and processes conceived before the Web, and they do not scale, move fast, or offer the granularity that today’s networked economy demands.” As Bob Emmerson puts it, banks and letters of credit are examples of such legacy systems.

In the 21st‑century economy, the answer is to adopt a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin and a distributed ledger that enable inexpensive, rapid, global payments that are transparent and free of intermediaries. This is not only possible—it is already happening. Blockchain is boosting transparency, simplifying processes, creating new opportunities, and delivering tangible benefits to society and businesses alike.

There is an analogy with the Internet of Things. While IoT is not required for Blockchain to work, pairing the two technologies delivers a powerful combination. Check it out here and then search for Bitcoin.

The book refrains from deep technical jargon yet offers a comprehensive guide. It begins with a brief history of Blockchain, then examines the problems it solves—such as resistance to hacking, the variety of Blockchain architectures, and foundational business concepts.

Chapter 5 focuses on how and where to apply Blockchain in business processes, highlighting the added value in ecosystems that involve multiple parties, require trust and confidentiality, demand instant transactions, or are supported by a community such as a union, association or consortium.

Practical guidance follows in the next chapter: install a Bitcoin wallet, purchase a modest amount of Bitcoin, download the Bitcoin blockchain, and join the distributed ledger. The authors caution against speculative investment and encourage hands‑on experimentation instead.

After setting up, you can send and receive payments and observe how each transaction is verified transparently. The chapter then outlines a four‑step framework to help your business accelerate to Blockchain‑level speed.

The remaining chapters explore Blockchain solutions across sectors—climate change, critical infrastructure protection, financial services, government and utilities, travel and transportation, and entertainment—concluding with real‑world case studies and references.

Conclusion: This publication is an accessible, informative read that brings you up to speed on a breakthrough technology that fulfills a genuine market need.

The authors are Louis de Bruin, a European Blockchain leader with IBM Global Business Services, and Willem Vermeend, an internet entrepreneur and Professor of Economics at the Open University in the Netherlands. The book is priced at €17.50 and can be ordered here.

The author of this blog is Bob Emmerson, freelance writer and telecoms industry observer.