Poison Island vs The Master Switch: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Information Technology, Business
Poison Island
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My name is Harry Brooks, and my age on this remembered evening was fourteen and something over. My father, Major James Brooks, late of the 4th (King's Own) Regiment, had married twice, and at the time of his retirement…
The Master Switch
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In this age of an open internet, it is easy to forget that every American information industry, beginning with the telephone, has eventually been taken captive by some ruthless monopoly or cartel. With all our media now…
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Poison Island is the quickest read — about 4 hours vs 6 for The Master Switch.
- Poison Island has the widest readership — 631 ratings behind its score.
How to choose
Scores by source
| Poison Island | The Master Switch | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.9 (631) | — |
| Hardcover | 4.2 (2) | 3.9 (46) |
| Apple Books | — | 4.5 (26) |
Reception
| Poison Island | The Master Switch | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 631 | 46 |
| Editions | 30 | 8 |
| Wikipedia attention | — | 2989 |
| Pages | 248 | 376 |
Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: Poison Island or The Master Switch?
The Master Switch has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Master Switch 4.0/5, Poison Island 3.9/5).
Which is shorter to read: Poison Island or The Master Switch?
Poison Island is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: Poison Island (248 pages, ≈ 4 h 36 m); The Master Switch (376 pages, ≈ 6 h 58 m).
Which is harder to read: Poison Island or The Master Switch?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — Poison Island: Challenging; The Master Switch: Moderate.