// Book comparison
The Design of Everyday Things vs The Intelligent Investor
Which should you read? A side-by-side comparison of The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman and The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham.
The Design of Everyday Things
by Don Norman
★ 4.9/5
The Intelligent Investor
by Benjamin Graham
★ 4.9/5
At a glance
| The Design of Everyday Things | The Intelligent Investor | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★ 4.9/5 | ★ 4.9/5 |
| Pages | 368 | 640 |
| Reading time | ~9.2 h | ~16.0 h |
| Published | 1988 | 1949 |
| Author | Don Norman | Benjamin Graham |
| Category | Marketing & Sales | Finance & Investment |
| Publisher | Basic Books | Harper Business |
Choose The Design of Everyday Things if…
- → You're interested in marketing & sales.
- → You want the higher-rated book (4.9/5).
- → You prefer a shorter read (~9.2 hours).
- → You want the more recent perspective (1988).
Choose The Intelligent Investor if…
- → You're interested in finance & investment.
Key takeaways — The Design of Everyday Things
- ✓ Prioritize Discoverability and Feedback, ensuring that every element of your product clearly signals its function and provides immediate confirmation of user actions.
- ✓ Align your product’s design with the User’s Mental Model, recognizing that people interact with technology based on past experiences and intuitive analogies.
- ✓ Utilize Constraints as a Strategic Shield, intentionally limiting user options to prevent catastrophic errors and to guide the customer toward the most efficient path of success.
Key takeaways — The Intelligent Investor
- ✓ Apply the Margin of Safety principle to every investment, ensuring you buy assets at a significant discount to their intrinsic value to protect against downside risk.
- ✓ Utilize Mr. Market to your advantage by buying when he is irrationally pessimistic and selling when he is overly optimistic, rather than following his emotional lead.
- ✓ Adopt the mindset of a Defensive Investor, focusing on the systematic selection of high-quality, undervalued businesses and maintaining a balanced, diversified portfolio.
The verdict
If you want the higher-rated, shorter read, start with The Design of Everyday Things. If you specifically need finance & investment, The Intelligent Investor is the better fit. Both summaries are free — no signup required.
❓ FAQ
Is The Design of Everyday Things or The Intelligent Investor better? +
The Design of Everyday Things has the higher reader rating (4.9/5 vs 4.9/5), but "better" depends on your goal. The Design of Everyday Things focuses on marketing & sales, while The Intelligent Investor focuses on finance & investment. See the verdict below.
Which is shorter, The Design of Everyday Things or The Intelligent Investor? +
The Design of Everyday Things is shorter (368 pages, ~9.2 hours) compared to The Intelligent Investor (640 pages, ~16.0 hours).
Should I read The Design of Everyday Things or The Intelligent Investor first? +
If you want the quicker, higher-rated read, start with The Design of Everyday Things. Otherwise read whichever matches your current goal — both summaries are free on BookHubs.