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Faking It
by Hugh Barker • 2007
Elvis was an imitator, punk was theater, and disco was realer than anyone admitted.
3.67
243
Faking It Summary
Faking It 95%
Elvis was an imitator, punk was theater, and disco was realer than anyone admitted.
by Hugh Barker 2007
3.67
243 ratings
How Music Works
by David Byrne • 2014
Cathedrals demanded chant. Car stereos demanded bass. The spaces we build write the music we hear.
4.00
29k+
How Music Works Summary
How Music Works 95%
Cathedrals demanded chant. Car stereos demanded bass. The spaces we build write the music we hear.
by David Byrne 2014
4.00
29k+ ratings
Listen
by Michel Faber • 2023
Your music taste isn't universal. It's a tribal signal, a traded commodity, and a social weapon.
3.30
374
Listen Summary
Listen 94%
Your music taste isn't universal. It's a tribal signal, a traded commodity, and a social weapon.
by Michel Faber 2023
3.30
374 ratings
Glory Days
by Dave Marsh • 1987
The contract was signed on a car hood. The battle to control his music nearly broke him.
3.78
387
Glory Days Summary
Glory Days 93%
The contract was signed on a car hood. The battle to control his music nearly broke him.
by Dave Marsh 1987
3.78
387 ratings
Sound Within Sound
by Kate Molleson • 2022
A microtonal Mexican, an Ethiopian nun, and eight more composers the classical canon erased.
4.34
181
Sound Within Sound Summary
Sound Within Sound 93%
A microtonal Mexican, an Ethiopian nun, and eight more composers the classical canon erased.
by Kate Molleson 2022
4.34
181 ratings
Black in Blues
by Imani Perry • 2025
Indigo was traded for human life. How blue became the keeper of Black grief, art, and survival.
4.25
3k+
Black in Blues Summary
Black in Blues 93%
Indigo was traded for human life. How blue became the keeper of Black grief, art, and survival.
by Imani Perry 2025
4.25
3k+ ratings
Why Bob Dylan Matters
by Richard F. Thomas • 2017
A classicist reveals the ancient texts hidden inside Bob Dylan's most famous lyrics.
3.74
1k+
Why Bob Dylan Matters Summary
Why Bob Dylan Matters 92%
A classicist reveals the ancient texts hidden inside Bob Dylan's most famous lyrics.
by Richard F. Thomas 2017
3.74
1k+ ratings
Blues Legacies & Black Feminism
by Angela Y. Davis • 1998
Before feminism had a vocabulary, three blues women sang its earliest demands into existence.
4.28
2k+
Blues Legacies & Black Feminism Summary
Blues Legacies & Black Feminism 92%
Before feminism had a vocabulary, three blues women sang its earliest demands into existence.
by Angela Y. Davis 1998
4.28
2k+ ratings
Perfecting Sound Forever
by Greg Milner • 2009
A century of recording breakthroughs produced one thing: new illusions our ears accepted as real.
4.17
1k+
Perfecting Sound Forever Summary
Perfecting Sound Forever 92%
A century of recording breakthroughs produced one thing: new illusions our ears accepted as real.
by Greg Milner 2009
4.17
1k+ ratings
Re-Sisters
by Cosey Fanni Tutti • 2022
An artist finds her countercultural lineage in a medieval mystic and an electronic music pioneer.
3.69
143
Re-Sisters Summary
Re-Sisters 92%
An artist finds her countercultural lineage in a medieval mystic and an electronic music pioneer.
by Cosey Fanni Tutti 2022
3.69
143 ratings
The Dawn of Everything
by David Graeber • 2021
The story of human progress was built to bury indigenous challenges to European society.
4.19
27k+
The Dawn of Everything Summary
The Dawn of Everything 92%
The story of human progress was built to bury indigenous challenges to European society.
by David Graeber 2021
4.19
27k+ ratings
A Short History of Myth
by Karen Armstrong • 2005
We traded myth for reason and got neither meaning nor a world we can bear.
3.69
7k+
A Short History of Myth Summary
A Short History of Myth 92%
We traded myth for reason and got neither meaning nor a world we can bear.
by Karen Armstrong 2005
3.69
7k+ ratings
Why You Love Music
by John Powell • 2016
Every time music gives you goosebumps, your brain is following a rule you never learned.
3.76
590
Why You Love Music Summary
Why You Love Music 92%
Every time music gives you goosebumps, your brain is following a rule you never learned.
by John Powell 2016
3.76
590 ratings
Predictable Results in Unpredictable Times
by Stephen R. Covey • 2009
The West built its politics on a mistake: that humans are naturally selfish animals.
3.72
186
Predictable Results in Unpredictable Times Summary
Predictable Results in Unpredictable Times 92%
The West built its politics on a mistake: that humans are naturally selfish animals.
by Stephen R. Covey 2009
3.72
186 ratings
Cows, Pigs, Wars, and Witches
by Marvin Harris • 1974
Cow worship, pork bans, witch hunts: each solved a practical problem no one admitted existed.
3.92
5k+
Cows, Pigs, Wars, and Witches Summary
Cows, Pigs, Wars, and Witches 92%
Cow worship, pork bans, witch hunts: each solved a practical problem no one admitted existed.
by Marvin Harris 1974
3.92
5k+ ratings
Every Song Ever
by Ben Ratliff • 2016
Genre is a filing system, not a listening guide. Twenty perceptual filters for the streaming age.
3.29
910
Every Song Ever Summary
Every Song Ever 92%
Genre is a filing system, not a listening guide. Twenty perceptual filters for the streaming age.
by Ben Ratliff 2016
3.29
910 ratings
Shout, Sister, Shout!
by Gayle Wald • 2007
The godmother of rock and roll played gospel guitar. Her grave stayed unmarked for decades.
4.05
356
Shout, Sister, Shout! Summary
Shout, Sister, Shout! 92%
The godmother of rock and roll played gospel guitar. Her grave stayed unmarked for decades.
by Gayle Wald 2007
4.05
356 ratings
The Chemical Muse
by D.C.A. Hillman • 2008
Classical civilization was built on psychoactive plants. The story of how history erased that.
3.89
177
The Chemical Muse Summary
The Chemical Muse 92%
Classical civilization was built on psychoactive plants. The story of how history erased that.
by D.C.A. Hillman 2008
3.89
177 ratings
Culture
by Martin Puchner • 2023
Borrowing, theft, lucky accidents: four millennia of cultural history. Purity was never the point.
3.92
924
Culture Summary
Culture 92%
Borrowing, theft, lucky accidents: four millennia of cultural history. Purity was never the point.
by Martin Puchner 2023
3.92
924 ratings
A Study of History, Abridgement of Vols 1-6
by Arnold Joseph Toynbee • 1987
History's pattern: empires die, and their true heirs are the churches they tried to crush.
4.11
543
A Study of History, Abridgement of Vols 1-6 Summary
A Study of History, Abridgement of Vols 1-6 92%
History's pattern: empires die, and their true heirs are the churches they tried to crush.
by Arnold Joseph Toynbee 1987
4.11
543 ratings
Food of the Gods
by Terence McKenna • 1992
A single psychoactive mushroom may have sparked language, religion, and human consciousness itself.
4.12
13k+
Food of the Gods Summary
Food of the Gods 92%
A single psychoactive mushroom may have sparked language, religion, and human consciousness itself.
by Terence McKenna 1992
4.12
13k+ ratings
Mood Machine
by Liz Pelly • 2025
Your favorite playlist runs on anonymous musicians and ad-tech logic; it was never a music company.
3.83
5k+
Mood Machine Summary
Mood Machine 91%
Your favorite playlist runs on anonymous musicians and ad-tech logic; it was never a music company.
by Liz Pelly 2025
3.83
5k+ ratings
The Song Machine
by John Seabrook • 2015
Pop hits aren't moments of genius; they're manufactured on an assembly line that began in Stockholm.
3.93
5k+
The Song Machine Summary
The Song Machine 91%
Pop hits aren't moments of genius; they're manufactured on an assembly line that began in Stockholm.
by John Seabrook 2015
3.93
5k+ ratings
How Music Can Make You Better
by Indre Viskontas • 2019
The neuroscience behind why a song can stop time, ease pain, and bond strangers.
3.85
255
How Music Can Make You Better Summary
How Music Can Make You Better 91%
The neuroscience behind why a song can stop time, ease pain, and bond strangers.
by Indre Viskontas 2019
3.85
255 ratings
Mix It Up
by David Grazian • 2010
Rihanna, the Super Bowl, and Disney: how sociology reveals the social forces behind popular culture.
3.52
107
Mix It Up Summary
Mix It Up 91%
Rihanna, the Super Bowl, and Disney: how sociology reveals the social forces behind popular culture.
by David Grazian 2010
3.52
107 ratings
The Crisis of the Modern World
by René Guénon • 1927
Modernity is a spiritual dark age, and the West's greatest achievements are its diagnostic symptoms.
4.09
2k+
The Crisis of the Modern World Summary
The Crisis of the Modern World 91%
Modernity is a spiritual dark age, and the West's greatest achievements are its diagnostic symptoms.
by René Guénon 1927
4.09
2k+ ratings
The Empathic Civilization
by Jeremy Rifkin • 2009
Every energy revolution expanded human empathy. Now that same engine threatens to undo us all.
4.03
937
The Empathic Civilization Summary
The Empathic Civilization 91%
Every energy revolution expanded human empathy. Now that same engine threatens to undo us all.
by Jeremy Rifkin 2009
4.03
937 ratings
I'll Never Write My Memoirs
by Grace Jones • 2015
How a girl from a repressive Jamaican church became the mirror-faced androgynous icon of disco.
3.76
2k+
I'll Never Write My Memoirs Summary
I'll Never Write My Memoirs 91%
How a girl from a repressive Jamaican church became the mirror-faced androgynous icon of disco.
by Grace Jones 2015
3.76
2k+ ratings
The Evolution of Everything
by Matt Ridley • 2015
The same undirected process that built the eye also built language, money, and the internet.
3.92
3k+
The Evolution of Everything Summary
The Evolution of Everything 91%
The same undirected process that built the eye also built language, money, and the internet.
by Matt Ridley 2015
3.92
3k+ ratings
Our Noise
by John Cook • 2009
When the majors came knocking, Merge Records bet everything on handshakes and artistic freedom.
4.05
1k+
Our Noise Summary
Our Noise 91%
When the majors came knocking, Merge Records bet everything on handshakes and artistic freedom.
by John Cook 2009
4.05
1k+ ratings
Wouldn't it Be Nice
by Charles L. Granata • 2003
Brian Wilson quit the road, made an album America ignored, and Britain crowned it a masterpiece.
3.93
513
Wouldn't it Be Nice Summary
Wouldn't it Be Nice 91%
Brian Wilson quit the road, made an album America ignored, and Britain crowned it a masterpiece.
by Charles L. Granata 2003
3.93
513 ratings
A Brief History of Misogyny
by Jack Holland • 2006
The most adaptable hatred in history: tracing misogyny from ancient myth to Freud's consulting room.
4.14
3k+
A Brief History of Misogyny Summary
A Brief History of Misogyny 91%
The most adaptable hatred in history: tracing misogyny from ancient myth to Freud's consulting room.
by Jack Holland 2006
4.14
3k+ ratings
The Gutenberg Parenthesis
by Jeff Jarvis • 2023
Before print, knowledge was conversation. Then books fenced it in. The fences are coming down.
3.83
218
The Gutenberg Parenthesis Summary
The Gutenberg Parenthesis 91%
Before print, knowledge was conversation. Then books fenced it in. The fences are coming down.
by Jeff Jarvis 2023
3.83
218 ratings
The Weirdest People in the World
by Joseph Henrich • 2020
How a medieval church's war on cousin marriage made the West individualistic, analytical, and rich.
4.13
4k+
The Weirdest People in the World Summary
The Weirdest People in the World 91%
How a medieval church's war on cousin marriage made the West individualistic, analytical, and rich.
by Joseph Henrich 2020
4.13
4k+ ratings
A Renegade History of the United States
by Thaddeus Russell • 2010
America's founders feared pleasure. Its drunkards, prostitutes, and gangsters made freedom real.
3.81
2k+
A Renegade History of the United States Summary
A Renegade History of the United States 91%
America's founders feared pleasure. Its drunkards, prostitutes, and gangsters made freedom real.
by Thaddeus Russell 2010
3.81
2k+ ratings
A Dark Muse
by Gary Lachman • 2003
The hidden lineage of poets and magicians who mapped the interior worlds that science denied.
3.76
235
A Dark Muse Summary
A Dark Muse 91%
The hidden lineage of poets and magicians who mapped the interior worlds that science denied.
by Gary Lachman 2003
3.76
235 ratings
The Acid Queen
by Susannah Cahalan • 2025
Two hundred acid trips, one prison escape, 24 years underground: the woman behind Timothy Leary.
3.78
1k+
The Acid Queen Summary
The Acid Queen 91%
Two hundred acid trips, one prison escape, 24 years underground: the woman behind Timothy Leary.
by Susannah Cahalan 2025
3.78
1k+ ratings
The Harvard Psychedelic Club
by Don Lattin • 2010
Four men, one Harvard LSD study, a breakup that gave America a counterculture and new spirituality.
3.92
2k+
The Harvard Psychedelic Club Summary
The Harvard Psychedelic Club 91%
Four men, one Harvard LSD study, a breakup that gave America a counterculture and new spirituality.
by Don Lattin 2010
3.92
2k+ ratings
Status and Culture
by W. David Marx • 2022
All culture is a status game. Fashion cycles, taste boundaries, and why nothing cool stays cool.
3.89
1k+
Status and Culture Summary
Status and Culture 91%
All culture is a status game. Fashion cycles, taste boundaries, and why nothing cool stays cool.
by W. David Marx 2022
3.89
1k+ ratings
How Music Got Free
by Stephen Richard Witt • 2015
A CD plant worker leaked 2,000 albums from the factory floor. The mp3 did the rest.
4.24
7k+
How Music Got Free Summary
How Music Got Free 91%
A CD plant worker leaked 2,000 albums from the factory floor. The mp3 did the rest.
by Stephen Richard Witt 2015
4.24
7k+ ratings
Nonzero
by Robert Wright
History bends toward cooperation, not because we're good, but because interdependence pays.
3.97
3k+
Nonzero Summary
Nonzero 91%
History bends toward cooperation, not because we're good, but because interdependence pays.
by Robert Wright
3.97
3k+ ratings
Ultrasociety
by Peter Turchin • 2015
War did not just destroy. Over ten millennia, it built the greatest cooperators on Earth.
4.11
464
Ultrasociety Summary
Ultrasociety 91%
War did not just destroy. Over ten millennia, it built the greatest cooperators on Earth.
by Peter Turchin 2015
4.11
464 ratings
Age of Anger
by Pankaj Mishra • 2017
Today's global resentments echo the fury that tore through modernizing Europe.
3.64
3k+
Age of Anger Summary
Age of Anger 91%
Today's global resentments echo the fury that tore through modernizing Europe.
by Pankaj Mishra 2017
3.64
3k+ ratings
The Misfits
by Colin Wilson • 1988
De Sade, Byron, and the 'perverts' who followed weren't just deviants but mystics chasing intensity.
3.69
121
The Misfits Summary
The Misfits 91%
De Sade, Byron, and the 'perverts' who followed weren't just deviants but mystics chasing intensity.
by Colin Wilson 1988
3.69
121 ratings
Dark Star Rising
by Gary Lachman • 2018
How the occult belief that mind shapes reality captured Trump, Putin, and the alt-right.
3.85
517
Dark Star Rising Summary
Dark Star Rising 91%
How the occult belief that mind shapes reality captured Trump, Putin, and the alt-right.
by Gary Lachman 2018
3.85
517 ratings
The Age of American Unreason
by Susan Jacoby • 2008
Suspicion of ideas predates the American republic. The forces feeding it have never been louder.
3.85
3k+
The Age of American Unreason Summary
The Age of American Unreason 91%
Suspicion of ideas predates the American republic. The forces feeding it have never been louder.
by Susan Jacoby 2008
3.85
3k+ ratings
Great Thinkers
by The School of Life • 2016
From Plato's cave to Freud's couch: the ideas that built our world, made practical for yours.
4.35
2k+
Great Thinkers Summary
Great Thinkers 91%
From Plato's cave to Freud's couch: the ideas that built our world, made practical for yours.
by The School of Life 2016
4.35
2k+ ratings
Rick Rubin
by Jake Brown • 2009
A dorm-room label, Slayer, Johnny Cash: one producer's philosophy of removal over addition.
3.53
282
Rick Rubin Summary
Rick Rubin 91%
A dorm-room label, Slayer, Johnny Cash: one producer's philosophy of removal over addition.
by Jake Brown 2009
3.53
282 ratings
Outgrowing God
by Richard Dawkins • 2019
Humans have invented thousands of gods. A scientist's case for why yours is one of them.
4.06
6k+
Outgrowing God Summary
Outgrowing God 91%
Humans have invented thousands of gods. A scientist's case for why yours is one of them.
by Richard Dawkins 2019
4.06
6k+ ratings
Civilized to Death
by Christopher Ryan • 2018
Agriculture made us sicker, more unequal, and less free. The hunter-gatherer way holds the clues.
4.12
5k+
Civilized to Death Summary
Civilized to Death 91%
Agriculture made us sicker, more unequal, and less free. The hunter-gatherer way holds the clues.
by Christopher Ryan 2018
4.12
5k+ ratings
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