// Book comparison
Abundance vs The Big Short
Which should you read? A side-by-side comparison of Abundance by Peter Diamandis, Steven Kotler and The Big Short by Michael Lewis.
Abundance
by Peter Diamandis, Steven Kotler
★ 4.8/5
The Big Short
by Michael Lewis
★ 4.9/5
At a glance
| Abundance | The Big Short | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★ 4.8/5 | ★ 4.9/5 |
| Pages | 400 | 288 |
| Reading time | ~10.0 h | ~7.2 h |
| Published | 2012 | 2010 |
| Author | Peter Diamandis, Steven Kotler | Michael Lewis |
| Category | Innovation & Technology | Finance & Investment |
| Publisher | Free Press | W. W. Norton & Company |
Choose Abundance if…
- → You're interested in innovation & technology.
- → You want the more recent perspective (2012).
Choose The Big Short if…
- → You're interested in finance & investment.
- → You want the higher-rated book (4.9/5).
- → You prefer a shorter read (~7.2 hours).
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 Big Short
- ✓ Prioritize First-Hand Data Investigation, ensuring your organization’s biggest strategic bets are based on the reality of the 'Underlying Assets' rather than on the opinions of rating agencies or experts.
- ✓ Cultivate Contrarian Bravery, recognizing that the most significant strategic opportunities often require you to stand alone and bet against the 'Collective Blindness' of the market.
- ✓ Understand The Danger of Complexity as Obfuscation, recognizing that when a financial product or business model is too complex to be easily explained, it often hides systemic fragility and loss.
The verdict
If you want the higher-rated, shorter read, start with The Big Short. If you specifically need finance & investment, Abundance is the better fit. Both summaries are free — no signup required.
❓ FAQ
Is Abundance or The Big Short better? +
The Big Short 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 Big Short focuses on finance & investment. See the verdict below.
Which is shorter, Abundance or The Big Short? +
The Big Short is shorter (288 pages, ~7.2 hours) compared to Abundance (400 pages, ~10.0 hours).
Should I read Abundance or The Big Short first? +
If you want the quicker, higher-rated read, start with The Big Short. Otherwise read whichever matches your current goal — both summaries are free on BookHubs.