The past is filled with rosy nostalgia and our best versions of ourselves (younger, handsomer, stronger, faster), while the future is completely framed by wishful thinking, meaning both are cognitive creations rather than objective reality.

Bitcoin's utility as an actual currency (for buying things legally) is extremely limited, which is why Rolfs says it doesn't work 'really poorly' if you actually want to use it as money unless you're 'a blackmailer or working on the dark web'.

Zeke Faux's book 'Number Go Up' provides a terrifying and eye-opening account of Bitcoin and related financial dynamics, according to Rolfs' assessment.

The financial advisory and wealth management industry encourages Rolfs and his peers to be confident and make strong calls ('fake it till you make it'), but the book advocates the opposite philosophy of humility and recognizing what you don't know.