Tracers in the Dark

Andy Greenberg has quickly become one of my favorite writers. His pieces for Wired are amazing, but this is the first book of his I’ve read, and it won’t be the last.

He has a masterful way of writing where he simply disappears and you’re fully inside of the story. And not just because “technothriller” is an apt description. His writing is effortless and unobtrusive. I particularly appreciate how he draws out and subtly highlights the importance of small details: a chance meeting in a coffeeshop resulting in a breakthrough, a single search result mentioned at the right time that saves an entire case. It’s an immersive experience, with never a hint of unwieldy dialogue and only a rare first person mention of himself or his role in the interviews. He centers the subjects with enough background to humanize their roles and keep them straight in your mind, weaving threads together so you’re able to see the big picture of many separate ongoing investigations and entities.

He also explains tech constructs simply and effectively. There are no long asides about the blockchain, just enough well-crafted explanations to understand the impact. The end result is the feeling that every sentence is chosen with care; he’s clearly extremely detail-oriented and thorough, which made this a joy to read. I’m also glad to see dissenting voices included in the discussion of the impact of crypto and thoughtful source notes.