// Book comparison
Abundance vs The Hard Thing About Hard Things
Which should you read? A side-by-side comparison of Abundance by Peter Diamandis, Steven Kotler and The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz.
Abundance
by Peter Diamandis, Steven Kotler
★ 4.8/5
The Hard Thing About Hard Things
by Ben Horowitz
★ 4.9/5
At a glance
| Abundance | The Hard Thing About Hard Things | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★ 4.8/5 | ★ 4.9/5 |
| Pages | 400 | 304 |
| Reading time | ~10.0 h | ~7.6 h |
| Published | 2012 | 2014 |
| Author | Peter Diamandis, Steven Kotler | Ben Horowitz |
| Category | Innovation & Technology | Startups & Entrepreneurship |
| Publisher | Free Press | HarperBusiness |
Choose Abundance if…
- → You're interested in innovation & technology.
Choose The Hard Thing About Hard Things if…
- → You're interested in startups & entrepreneurship.
- → You want the higher-rated book (4.9/5).
- → You prefer a shorter read (~7.6 hours).
- → You want the more recent perspective (2014).
Key takeaways — Abundance
- ✓ Utilize Incentive Prizes and Gamification to accelerate your organization's R&D, attracting the world's best non-traditional problem-solvers to your strategic challenges.
- ✓ Leverage Dematerialization, recognizing that technology allows you to provide high-value services (like cameras or GPS) at near-zero marginal cost by turning them into software.
- ✓ Focus your organizational mission on Solving Grand Challenges, aligning your firm's growth with the most urgent needs of the 'Rising Billion' for massive strategic impact.
Key takeaways — The Hard Thing About Hard Things
- ✓ Understand the difference between Peacetime and Wartime Leadership, recognizing that a crisis requires a shift from collaborative consensus to directive, high-velocity decision-making.
- ✓ Manage Your Own Psychology during 'The Struggle', recognizing that the ability to stay calm and objective when the organization is at risk is a leader's most critical strategic asset.
- ✓ Prioritize The Truth in your organizational communication, ensuring that bad news travels fast and that every employee understands the reality of the firm's strategic challenges.
The verdict
If you want the higher-rated, shorter read, start with The Hard Thing About Hard Things. If you specifically need startups & entrepreneurship, Abundance is the better fit. Both summaries are free — no signup required.
❓ FAQ
Is Abundance or The Hard Thing About Hard Things better? +
The Hard Thing About Hard Things has the higher reader rating (4.9/5 vs 4.8/5), but "better" depends on your goal. Abundance focuses on innovation & technology, while The Hard Thing About Hard Things focuses on startups & entrepreneurship. See the verdict below.
Which is shorter, Abundance or The Hard Thing About Hard Things? +
The Hard Thing About Hard Things is shorter (304 pages, ~7.6 hours) compared to Abundance (400 pages, ~10.0 hours).
Should I read Abundance or The Hard Thing About Hard Things first? +
If you want the quicker, higher-rated read, start with The Hard Thing About Hard Things. Otherwise read whichever matches your current goal — both summaries are free on BookHubs.