I really enjoyed Zodiac. It’s reads like a thriller novel but it’s a little more grounded and less weird than Snow Crash. I think it’s a good entry point for Stephenson novels.
Yes, this is why many larger media sites opt to use header bidding. The decrease in CTR (click through rate) is offset by increased demand for each ad unit, driving up CPM (effectively the price of the ad).
The downside of this for websites is more middlemen extracting away value - but it’s usually still a net gain, otherwise publishers just wouldn’t use header bidding.
(I’ve worked in several large media companies and have implemented header bidding solutions for them in the past)