{"product_id":"american-kingpin-nick-bilton-9780143129028","title":"American Kingpin | Nick Bilton","description":"\u003csection class=\"product-description\" style=\"color: #1a1a1a; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.6;\"\u003e\n  \u003ch2 style=\"color: #8B0000; font-size: 1.75em; margin-bottom: 15px; border-bottom: 2px solid #8B0000; padding-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eAmerican Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road\u003c\/h2\u003e\n  \n  \u003ctable style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; margin-bottom: 25px; font-size: 0.95em; border: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n    \u003ctbody\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #8B0000; width: 30%;\"\u003eISBN-13\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003e9780143129028\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #8B0000;\"\u003eISBN-10\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003e0143129023\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #8B0000;\"\u003eAuthor\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003eNick Bilton\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #8B0000;\"\u003eBinding\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003ePaperback\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #8B0000;\"\u003ePublisher\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003ePenguin\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #8B0000;\"\u003ePublication Date\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003eMay 29, 2018\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #8B0000;\"\u003ePages\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003e368\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr\u003e\n        \u003cth style=\"text-align: left; padding: 10px; background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #8B0000;\"\u003eSubjects\u003c\/th\u003e\n        \u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; color: #1a1a1a;\"\u003eTrue Crime, Technology, Biography, Internet History\u003c\/td\u003e\n      \u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003c\/tbody\u003e\n  \u003c\/table\u003e\n\n  \u003ch3 style=\"color: #8B0000; font-size: 1.25em; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eExtended Synopsis\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003eIn 2011, twenty-six-year-old libertarian programmer Ross Ulbricht launched the Silk Road, a clandestine marketplace hosted on the Dark Web designed as the ultimate free market. Free from the government’s watchful eye, users could anonymously trade anything from illegal drugs and hacking software to forged passports and poisons. What began as an ideological experiment quickly ballooned into a sprawling $1.2 billion enterprise. Operating under the pseudonym the Dread Pirate Roberts, Ross embraced his terrifying new role as a digital kingpin, enlisting a loyal crew of allies and taking increasingly drastic, violent steps to protect his empire from the very real targets forming on his back.\u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003eSpurred by media frenzy and public outcry, the federal government launched an epic, sprawling two-year manhunt for the elusive proprietor. Investigators operated with no physical leads, no witnesses, and no clear legal jurisdiction, racing against the clock to catch a man they weren’t even sure existed. Drawing on exclusive access to key players and analyzing two billion digital words and images left behind by Ulbricht, Nick Bilton weaves a heart-pounding narrative filled with unprecedented lucky breaks, unbelievable close calls, and a dramatic clash between decentralized Web advocates and the traditional rule of law.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003ch3 style=\"color: #8B0000; font-size: 1.25em; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eIntended Audience\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003eThis gripping narrative is a must-read for true crime enthusiasts, technology buffs, and readers fascinated by the intersection of internet culture, cryptocurrency, and law enforcement. It serves as a profound cautionary tale of ambition and the dark realities of the unregulated digital frontier.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003ch3 style=\"color: #8B0000; font-size: 1.25em; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNick Bilton\u003c\/strong\u003e is a special correspondent for \u003cem\u003eVanity Fair\u003c\/em\u003e and a former technology and business columnist for \u003cem\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/em\u003e. A \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author, Bilton is celebrated for his incisive, deeply researched reporting on the titans and outlaws of the modern technological age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003ch3 style=\"color: #8B0000; font-size: 1.25em; margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eAccolades \u0026amp; Recognition\u003c\/h3\u003e\n  \u003cul style=\"margin-bottom: 25px; padding-left: 20px;\"\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 5px;\"\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e Bestseller.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli style=\"margin-bottom: 5px;\"\u003eWidely praised as a narrative nonfiction masterpiece that reads like a high-stakes thriller.\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n  \u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\n  {\n    \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n    \"@type\": \"Book\",\n    \"name\": \"American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road\",\n    \"author\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Person\",\n      \"name\": \"Nick Bilton\"\n    },\n    \"isbn\": \"9780143129028\",\n    \"numberOfPages\": \"368\",\n    \"publisher\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n      \"name\": \"Penguin\"\n    },\n    \"datePublished\": \"2018-05-29\",\n    \"bookFormat\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/Paperback\",\n    \"inLanguage\": \"English\",\n    \"description\": \"The unbelievable true story of the man who built a billion-dollar online drug empire from his bedroom—and almost got away with it.\"\n  }\n  \u003c\/script\u003e\n\n  \u003chr style=\"border: 0; height: 1px; background: #8B0000; margin: 30px 0;\"\u003e\n  \u003cp style=\"text-align: center; font-weight: bold; color: #8B0000; font-size: 1.1em; letter-spacing: 0.5px;\"\u003eBust-Down Books: More Than a Bookstore\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/section\u003e","brand":"Bust-Down Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51319627415867,"sku":"0143129023","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0855\/2077\/7531\/files\/9780143129028.jpg?v=1781043831","url":"https:\/\/bustdownbooks.com\/products\/american-kingpin-nick-bilton-9780143129028","provider":"Bust-Down Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}