The Alphabet Versus the Goddess vs The Black Swan: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Aspect social, Social aspects
The Alphabet Versus the Goddess
“Of all the sacred cows allowed to roam unimpeded in our culture, few are as revered as literacy.”
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Making remarkable connections across a wide range of subjects including brain anatomy and function, anthropology, history, and religion, Shlain argues that, with the advent of literacy, the very act of reading an…
The Black Swan
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From the critically acclaimed author of Fooled by Randomness, a book about the impact of improbable events on every aspect of life.
Side by side
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- The Black Swan has the widest readership — 124673 ratings behind its score.
- The Alphabet Versus the Goddess runs the darker storyline; The Black Swan stays the lighter read.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| The Alphabet Versus the Goddess | The Black Swan | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.2 (2494) | 4.0 (124673) |
| Hardcover | 4.0 (6) | 3.7 (296) |
| Google Books | — | 4.5 (12) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (8) | 4.0 (284) |
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Reception
| The Alphabet Versus the Goddess | The Black Swan | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 2494 | 124673 |
| Editions | 9 | 27 |
| Film adaptations | — | 1 |
| Want to read | 6129 | 215967 |
| Reading it now | 507 | 18769 |
| Written reviews | 337 | 7876 |
| Wikipedia attention | 370 | 536 |
| Pages | 480 | 462 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The Alphabet Versus the Goddess or The Black Swan?
The Alphabet Versus the Goddess has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Alphabet Versus the Goddess 4.2/5, The Black Swan 4.0/5).
Which is shorter to read: The Alphabet Versus the Goddess or The Black Swan?
The Black Swan is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Black Swan (462 pages, ≈ 8 h 33 m); The Alphabet Versus the Goddess (480 pages, ≈ 8 h 53 m).
Which is harder to read: The Alphabet Versus the Goddess or The Black Swan?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Alphabet Versus the Goddess: Moderate; The Black Swan: Challenging.