"Today I still meet people who have never heard of Bitcoin and they ask me what it is. I usually answer in the shortest possible way, explaining the practical benefits of Bitcoin and leaving out the more interesting details about how it works. If a person is interested, I am willing to answer his questions until he reaches a level of understanding that suits him. This is also the purpose of my book, and I have arranged the chapters of the book in a similar way. The intended audience of this book is people who are complete strangers. with Bitcoin and are completely unfamiliar with computer science in general. It is intended for the reader who wants to understand the basics of how Bitcoin works and at the same time understand the technology. The book begins with an overview of Bitcoin in a practical sense, then I break down the ideas behind Bitcoin. , and finally, answering some of the more general questions people ask me about Bitcoin today." Adam Tepper (1981–2015)