Language, thought, and reality vs Under the Banner of Heaven: Which Should You Read?
Language, thought, and reality
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Writings by the pioneering linguist Benjamin Whorf, including his famous work on the Hopi language as well as general reflections on language and meaning. The pioneering linguist Benjamin Whorf (1897–1941) grasped the…
Under the Banner of Heaven
“Balanced atop the highest spire of the Salt Lake Temple, gleaming in the Utah sun, a statue of the angel Moroni stands watch over downtown Salt Lake City with his golden trumpet raised.”
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Jon Krakauer's literary reputation rests on insightful chronicles of lives conducted at the outer limits. In UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN, he shifts his focus from extremes of physical adventure to extremes of religious…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Language, thought, and reality is the quickest read — about 5 hours vs 7 for Under the Banner of Heaven.
- Under the Banner of Heaven has the widest readership — 231239 ratings behind its score.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| Language, thought, and reality | Under the Banner of Heaven | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.0 (369) | 4.0 (231239) |
| Hardcover | — | 4.0 (354) |
| Apple Books | — | 4.0 (810) |
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Reception
| Language, thought, and reality | Under the Banner of Heaven | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 369 | 231239 |
| Editions | 34 | 23 |
| Film adaptations | — | 1 |
| Want to read | 1885 | 191943 |
| Reading it now | 76 | 11408 |
| Written reviews | 24 | 16819 |
| Wikipedia attention | — | 9914 |
| Pages | 278 | 395 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Language, thought, and reality or Under the Banner of Heaven?
Under the Banner of Heaven has the higher combined reader rating across sources (Under the Banner of Heaven 4.0/5, Language, thought, and reality 4.0/5).
Which is shorter to read: Language, thought, and reality or Under the Banner of Heaven?
Language, thought, and reality is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Language, thought, and reality (278 pages, ≈ 5 h 09 m); Under the Banner of Heaven (395 pages, ≈ 7 h 19 m).
Which is harder to read: Language, thought, and reality or Under the Banner of Heaven?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Language, thought, and reality: Moderate; Under the Banner of Heaven: Moderate.