A Study in Scarlet vs Start with why: Which Should You Read?
A Study in Scarlet
“IN the year 1878 I took my degree of Doctor of Medicine of the University of London, and proceeded to Netley to go through the course prescribed for surgeons in the army.”
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A Study in Scarlet is an 1887 detective novel by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle. The story marks the first appearance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, who would become the most famous detective duo in literature.
Start with why
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The most important question for any organization There's a naturally occurring pattern shared by the people and organizations that achieve the greatest long-term success. From Martin Luther King Jr. to Steve Jobs, from…
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The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- A Study in Scarlet is the quickest read — about 1 hours vs 4 for Start with why.
- A Study in Scarlet has the widest readership — 509333 ratings behind its score.
- Start with why reaches further in scholarship and criticism — cited 67 times.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| A Study in Scarlet | Start with why | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.1 (509333) | — |
| Hardcover | 4.0 (1127) | — |
| Google Books | — | 5.0 (1) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (3581) | 4.5 (24) |
| LiveLib | 4.8 (4) | — |
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Reception
| A Study in Scarlet | Start with why | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 509333 | 52 |
| Editions | 1447 | 16 |
| Citations | 16 | 67 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 267494 | — |
| Reading it now | 14669 | — |
| Written reviews | 22505 | — |
| Wikipedia attention | 16888 | 2761 |
| Pages | 106 | 247 |
| Check price → | Check price → |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: A Study in Scarlet or Start with why?
A Study in Scarlet has the higher combined reader rating across sources (A Study in Scarlet 4.1/5, Start with why 4.1/5).
Which is shorter to read: A Study in Scarlet or Start with why?
A Study in Scarlet is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: A Study in Scarlet (106 pages, ≈ 1 h 58 m); Start with why (247 pages, ≈ 4 h 34 m).
Which is harder to read: A Study in Scarlet or Start with why?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — A Study in Scarlet: Challenging; Start with why: Moderate.
Have both books been made into films?
A Study in Scarlet: 5 film adaptations; Start with why: no film adaptation on record.