# Read Write Own: Table of contents

> Editor’s note: We’re sharing below a preview of the table of contents for the forthcoming new book, Read Write Own: Building the Next Era of the Internet (released by Random House on January 30 in the U.S.; and by Cornerstone on February 1 in the U.K.). To pre-order now and see more about the book,....

- URL: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/read-write-own-table-of-contents-rwo-toc
- Authors: [Chris Dixon](https://a16zcrypto.com/team/chris-dixon), [a16z crypto editorial](https://a16zcrypto.com/team/a16z-crypto-editorial)
- Published: 2024-01-08
- Updated: 2024-03-27
- Focus areas: company building, tech trends
- Tags: what we're reading

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*Editor’s note: We’re sharing below a preview of the table of contents for the forthcoming new book,* Read Write Own: Building the Next Era of the Internet *(released by Random House on January 30 in the U.S.; and by Cornerstone on February 1 in the U.K.). To pre-order now and see more about the book, visit [readwriteown.com](https://readwriteown.com/)*; *for more information, see also author Chris Dixon’s [post about the book](https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/chris-dixon-book-read-write-own/). Formatting for the table of contents here has been adapted slightly for this medium, with page numbers removed.*

## **Introduction**

*Three Eras of Networks*

*A New Movement*

*Seeing the Truth*

*Determining the Internet’s Future*

## **Part One: Read. Write.**

**1 Why Networks Matter**

**2 Protocol Networks**

*A Brief History of Protocol Networks*

*The Benefits of Protocol Networks*

*The Fall of RSS*

**3 Corporate Networks**         

*Skeuomorphic and Native Technologies*

*The Rise of Corporate Networks*

*The Problem with Corporate Networks:* *The Attract-Extract Cycle*                                                    

## **Part Two: Own.**

**4 Blockchains**

*Why Computers Are Special:* *The Platform-App Feedback Loop*

*Two Paths to Adoption: “Inside Out”* *versus “Outside In”*    

*Blockchains Are a New Kind of Computer*

*How Blockchains Work*

*Why Blockchains Matter*        

**5 Tokens**

*Single-Player and Multiplayer Technologies*

*Tokens Represent Ownership*

*The Uses of Tokens*  

*The Importance of Digital Ownership*

*The Next Big Thing Starts Out Looking Like a Toy*

**6 Blockchain Networks**

## **Part Three: A New Era**

**7 Community-Created Software**

*Modding, Remixing, and Open Source*

*Composability: Software as Lego Bricks*      

*The Cathedral and the Bazaar*

**8 Take Rates**

*Network Effects Drive Take Rates*

*Your Take Rate Is My Opportunity*

*Squeezing the Balloon*

**9 Building Networks with Token Incentives**                              

*Incentivizing Software Development*

*Overcoming the Bootstrap Problem*

*Tokens Are Self-Marketing*

*Making Users Owners*

**10 Tokenomics**

*Faucets and Token Supply*

*Sinks and Token Demand*

*Tokens Can Be Valued Using Traditional Financial Methods*

*Financial Cycles*

**11 Network Governance**

*The Nonprofit Model*

*Federated Networks*

*Protocol Coups*

*Blockchains as Network Constitutions*

*Blockchain Governance*

## **Pa****rt Four: Here and Now**

**12 The Computer versus the Casino**

*Regulating Tokens*

*Ownership and Markets Are Inextricable*

*Limited Liability Corporations:* *A Regulatory Success Story*

## **Part Five: What’s Next**

**13 The iPhone Moment: From Incubation to Growth**

**14 Some Promising Applications**

*Social Networks: Millions of Profitable Niches*

*Games and the Metaverse: Who Will Own the Virtual World?*

*NFTs: Scarce Value in an Era of Abundance*

*Collaborative Storytelling:* *Unleashing Fantasy Hollywood*

*Making Financial Infrastructure a Public Good*

*Artificial Intelligence:* *A New Economic Covenant for Creators*

*Deepfakes: Moving Beyond the Turing Test*

## **Conclusion**

***Reinventing the Internet***

***Cause for Optimism***

Acknowledgments

Notes

Index

![](https://dwt2zme5yrom6.cloudfront.net/uploads/2024/01/rwo_toc_dixon-1024x576.jpg)

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