// Book comparison

Abundance vs Why We Sleep

Which should you read? A side-by-side comparison of Abundance by Peter Diamandis, Steven Kotler and Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker.

At a glance

Abundance Why We Sleep
Rating ★ 4.8/5 ★ 4.9/5
Pages 400 368
Reading time ~10.0 h ~9.2 h
Published 2012 2017
Author Peter Diamandis, Steven Kotler Matthew Walker
Category Innovation & Technology Personal Effectiveness
Publisher Free Press Scribner

Choose Abundance if…

  • You're interested in innovation & technology.

Choose Why We Sleep if…

  • You're interested in personal effectiveness.
  • You want the higher-rated book (4.9/5).
  • You prefer a shorter read (~9.2 hours).
  • You want the more recent perspective (2017).

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.
Read full Abundance summary →

Key takeaways — Why We Sleep

  • Acknowledge Sleep as your Primary Performance Tool, recognizing that chronic sleep deprivation systematically erodes your IQ, your strategic foresight, and your emotional intelligence.
  • Protect your REM Sleep for Creative Problem-Solving, ensuring that your 'Rest Architecture' allows for the deep dreaming required to integrate complex market information into original insights.
  • Eliminate the 'Badge of Honor' for Sleep Deprivation within your culture, recognizing that a tired workforce is a statistically more error-prone and less innovative workforce.
Read full Why We Sleep summary →

The verdict

If you want the higher-rated, shorter read, start with Why We Sleep. If you specifically need personal effectiveness, Abundance is the better fit. Both summaries are free — no signup required.

❓ FAQ

Is Abundance or Why We Sleep better? +

Why We Sleep has the higher reader rating (4.9/5 vs 4.8/5), but "better" depends on your goal. Abundance focuses on innovation & technology, while Why We Sleep focuses on personal effectiveness. See the verdict below.

Which is shorter, Abundance or Why We Sleep? +

Why We Sleep is shorter (368 pages, ~9.2 hours) compared to Abundance (400 pages, ~10.0 hours).

Should I read Abundance or Why We Sleep first? +

If you want the quicker, higher-rated read, start with Why We Sleep. Otherwise read whichever matches your current goal — both summaries are free on BookHubs.