The Demon-Haunted World vs The Human Use of Human Beings: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Sociale aspecten, Popular works, Science
The Demon-Haunted World
“As I got off the plane, he was waiting for me, holding up a scrap of cardboard with my name scribbled on it.”
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A prescient warning of a future we now inhabit, where fake news stories and Internet conspiracy theories play to a disaffected American populace “A glorious book... A spirited defense of science... From the first page…
The Human Use of Human Beings
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"Only a few books stand as landmarks in social and scientific upheaval. Norbert Wiener's classic is one in that small company. Founder of the science of cybernetics--the study of the relationship between computers and…
Side by side
The verdict
- Readers rate The Demon-Haunted World highest: The Demon-Haunted World 4.3 · The Human Use of Human Beings 4.0.
- The Human Use of Human Beings is the quickest read — about 3 hours vs 8 for The Demon-Haunted World.
- The Demon-Haunted World has the widest readership — 82894 ratings behind its score.
- The Human Use of Human Beings reaches further in scholarship and criticism — cited 765 times.
- The Demon-Haunted World runs the darker storyline; The Human Use of Human Beings stays the lighter read.
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How to choose
Scores by source
| The Demon-Haunted World | The Human Use of Human Beings | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.3 (82894) | 4.0 (995) |
| Hardcover | 4.3 (291) | 3.2 (5) |
| Google Books | 5.0 (1) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (284) | — |
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Reception
| The Demon-Haunted World | The Human Use of Human Beings | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 82894 | 995 |
| Editions | 35 | 26 |
| Citations | 105 | 765 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 171734 | 5350 |
| Reading it now | 9794 | 312 |
| Written reviews | 4689 | 123 |
| Wikipedia attention | 11237 | 1495 |
| Pages | 460 | 199 |
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Questions readers ask
Which is rated higher: The Demon-Haunted World or The Human Use of Human Beings?
The Demon-Haunted World has the higher combined reader rating across sources (The Demon-Haunted World 4.3/5, The Human Use of Human Beings 4.0/5).
Which is shorter to read: The Demon-Haunted World or The Human Use of Human Beings?
The Human Use of Human Beings is the quickest read. Estimated at 225 words per minute: The Human Use of Human Beings (199 pages, ≈ 3 h 41 m); The Demon-Haunted World (460 pages, ≈ 8 h 31 m).
Which is harder to read: The Demon-Haunted World or The Human Use of Human Beings?
Estimated difficulty, based on era, reader shelves and length — The Demon-Haunted World: Challenging; The Human Use of Human Beings: Moderate.