Start free trial
EnglishEnglish
EspañolSpanish
简体中文Chinese
繁體中文Chinese (Traditional)
FrançaisFrench
DeutschGerman
日本語Japanese
PortuguêsPortuguese
ItalianoItalian
한국어Korean
РусскийRussian
NederlandsDutch
العربيةArabic
PolskiPolish
हिन्दीHindi
Tiếng ViệtVietnamese
SvenskaSwedish
ΕλληνικάGreek
TürkçeTurkish
ไทยThai
ČeštinaCzech
RomânăRomanian
MagyarHungarian
УкраїнськаUkrainian
IndonesiaIndonesian
DanskDanish
SuomiFinnish
БългарскиBulgarian
עבריתHebrew
NorskNorwegian
HrvatskiCroatian
CatalàCatalan
SlovenčinaSlovak
LietuviųLithuanian
SlovenščinaSlovenian
СрпскиSerbian
EestiEstonian
LatviešuLatvian
فارسیPersian
മലയാളംMalayalam
தமிழ்Tamil
اردوUrdu
SoBrief
Searching...
Beauty
by Roger Scruton • 2009
From dinner tables to galleries, beauty is a rational demand we are ignoring.
3.95
3k+
Beauty Summary
Beauty 90%
From dinner tables to galleries, beauty is a rational demand we are ignoring.
by Roger Scruton 2009
3.95
3k+ ratings
Philosophy of Art
by Noël Carroll • 1999
Art defies every definition. A tour through the best philosophical attempts, and what survives.
3.88
204
Philosophy of Art Summary
Philosophy of Art 90%
Art defies every definition. A tour through the best philosophical attempts, and what survives.
by Noël Carroll 1999
3.88
204 ratings
Introductory Lectures on Aesthetics
by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel • 2004
Art makes truth visible, but the age when it could fully satisfy the spirit is over.
3.89
1k+
Introductory Lectures on Aesthetics Summary
Introductory Lectures on Aesthetics 90%
Art makes truth visible, but the age when it could fully satisfy the spirit is over.
by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel 2004
3.89
1k+ ratings
History of Beauty
by Umberto Eco • 2004
Beauty was never absolute. Every era invents its own: from sacred light to industrial symmetry.
3.82
68k+
History of Beauty Summary
History of Beauty 89%
Beauty was never absolute. Every era invents its own: from sacred light to industrial symmetry.
by Umberto Eco 2004
3.82
68k+ ratings
A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful
by Edmund Burke • 1757
Terror produces the sublime. Smoothness and delicacy produce the beautiful. Two instincts, not one.
3.69
3k+
A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful Summary
A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful 89%
Terror produces the sublime. Smoothness and delicacy produce the beautiful. Two instincts, not one.
by Edmund Burke 1757
3.69
3k+ ratings
Letters on Cézanne
by Rainer Maria Rilke • 1907
One poet's letters on Cézanne: how seeing becomes the artist's hardest and most honest work.
4.16
957
Letters on Cézanne Summary
Letters on Cézanne 89%
One poet's letters on Cézanne: how seeing becomes the artist's hardest and most honest work.
by Rainer Maria Rilke 1907
4.16
957 ratings
Doorway to Artistry
by Esther Lightcap Meek • 2023
Reality isn't a dead object to control; it's extending an invitation, and your art proves it.
4.67
21
Doorway to Artistry Summary
Doorway to Artistry 89%
Reality isn't a dead object to control; it's extending an invitation, and your art proves it.
by Esther Lightcap Meek 2023
4.67
21 ratings
Critique of Judgment
by Immanuel Kant • 1790
Beauty demands universal agreement from nothing more than your own private feeling.
4.10
10k+
Critique of Judgment Summary
Critique of Judgment 89%
Beauty demands universal agreement from nothing more than your own private feeling.
by Immanuel Kant 1790
4.10
10k+ ratings
Phenomenology of Perception
by Maurice Merleau-Ponty • 1945
Perception doesn't start in the mind. Your body inhabits the world before thinking ever arrives.
4.18
6k+
Phenomenology of Perception Summary
Phenomenology of Perception 89%
Perception doesn't start in the mind. Your body inhabits the world before thinking ever arrives.
by Maurice Merleau-Ponty 1945
4.18
6k+ ratings
Astrazione e empatia
by Wilhelm Worringer • 1907
Primitive art wasn't clumsy. It was fleeing from the terror of space into geometry.
3.83
192
Astrazione e empatia Summary
Astrazione e empatia 88%
Primitive art wasn't clumsy. It was fleeing from the terror of space into geometry.
by Wilhelm Worringer 1907
3.83
192 ratings
The Man Without Content
by Giorgio Agamben • 1970
Plato banished poets for their power. Aesthetics made art safe, and the artist empty.
4.15
383
The Man Without Content Summary
The Man Without Content 88%
Plato banished poets for their power. Aesthetics made art safe, and the artist empty.
by Giorgio Agamben 1970
4.15
383 ratings
The Substance of Style
by Virginia Postrel • 2003
The sensory qualities of things now rival price and performance as economic forces.
3.49
527
The Substance of Style Summary
The Substance of Style 88%
The sensory qualities of things now rival price and performance as economic forces.
by Virginia Postrel 2003
3.49
527 ratings
How Proust Can Change Your Life
by Alain de Botton • 1998
The practical life advice hidden inside a 3,000-page French novel about memory and jealousy.
3.76
19k+
How Proust Can Change Your Life Summary
How Proust Can Change Your Life 88%
The practical life advice hidden inside a 3,000-page French novel about memory and jealousy.
by Alain de Botton 1998
3.76
19k+ ratings
The Doors of Perception & Heaven and Hell
by Aldous Huxley • 1956
Your brain edits reality to survival essentials. Huxley took mescaline and watched the editing stop.
3.90
76k+
The Doors of Perception & Heaven and Hell Summary
The Doors of Perception & Heaven and Hell 88%
Your brain edits reality to survival essentials. Huxley took mescaline and watched the editing stop.
by Aldous Huxley 1956
3.90
76k+ ratings
The Art Spirit
by Robert Henri • 1929
Art isn't a specialist's skill: it's a way of being. Henri's 1929 manifesto still startles.
3.87
27k+
The Art Spirit Summary
The Art Spirit 88%
Art isn't a specialist's skill: it's a way of being. Henri's 1929 manifesto still startles.
by Robert Henri 1929
3.87
27k+ ratings
The Longing for Less
by Kyle Chayka • 2020
The clean lines of minimalism hide a messy history: Zen monks, art rebels, and $8,200 stereos.
3.45
1k+
The Longing for Less Summary
The Longing for Less 88%
The clean lines of minimalism hide a messy history: Zen monks, art rebels, and $8,200 stereos.
by Kyle Chayka 2020
3.45
1k+ ratings
Concerning the Spiritual in Art
by Wassily Kandinsky • 1912
Abstract painting is not emptiness but a spiritual language more direct than any image.
3.83
93k+
Concerning the Spiritual in Art Summary
Concerning the Spiritual in Art 88%
Abstract painting is not emptiness but a spiritual language more direct than any image.
by Wassily Kandinsky 1912
3.83
93k+ ratings
The Visual Story
by Bruce Block • 2021
How to align visual structure with story: seven components, one law, and a shot-by-shot system.
4.67
3
The Visual Story Summary
The Visual Story 88%
How to align visual structure with story: seven components, one law, and a shot-by-shot system.
by Bruce Block 2021
4.67
3 ratings
Why Poetry
by Matthew Zapruder • 2017
The case for reading poems exactly as they are: literally, without hunting for hidden meanings.
4.16
1k+
Why Poetry Summary
Why Poetry 88%
The case for reading poems exactly as they are: literally, without hunting for hidden meanings.
by Matthew Zapruder 2017
4.16
1k+ ratings
The Arts and the Creation of Mind
by Elliot W. Eisner • 2002
Schools treat art as a break from thinking. It's the most demanding thinking students do.
4.32
191
The Arts and the Creation of Mind Summary
The Arts and the Creation of Mind 88%
Schools treat art as a break from thinking. It's the most demanding thinking students do.
by Elliot W. Eisner 2002
4.32
191 ratings
Observations on the Feeling of the Beautiful and Sublime
by Immanuel Kant • 2004
Kant's early map: everything in human life divides between awe and joy, from love to nations.
3.53
1k+
Observations on the Feeling of the Beautiful and Sublime Summary
Observations on the Feeling of the Beautiful and Sublime 88%
Kant's early map: everything in human life divides between awe and joy, from love to nations.
by Immanuel Kant 2004
3.53
1k+ ratings
The Strength to Dream
by Colin Wilson • 1962
The crisis of modern literature is a failure of imagination, and the cost is human freedom.
3.93
123
The Strength to Dream Summary
The Strength to Dream 88%
The crisis of modern literature is a failure of imagination, and the cost is human freedom.
by Colin Wilson 1962
3.93
123 ratings
Lost in Math
by Sabine Hossenfelder • 2018
Theoretical physics is stuck. The culprit isn't bad math, but a fixation on elegant theories.
4.05
3k+
Lost in Math Summary
Lost in Math 88%
Theoretical physics is stuck. The culprit isn't bad math, but a fixation on elegant theories.
by Sabine Hossenfelder 2018
4.05
3k+ ratings
On Becoming an Artist
by Ellen J. Langer • 2005
You don't need talent to make art. You need permission to begin badly.
3.75
363
On Becoming an Artist Summary
On Becoming an Artist 88%
You don't need talent to make art. You need permission to begin badly.
by Ellen J. Langer 2005
3.75
363 ratings
The Visual Story
by Bruce Block • 2007
Stop guessing at visual impact. A system for making every frame serve your story deliberately.
4.30
772
The Visual Story Summary
The Visual Story 88%
Stop guessing at visual impact. A system for making every frame serve your story deliberately.
by Bruce Block 2007
4.30
772 ratings
The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
by Walter Benjamin • 1936
Why does a perfect copy feel less real? Benjamin's answer upends art and politics.
4.08
25k+
The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction Summary
The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction 88%
Why does a perfect copy feel less real? Benjamin's answer upends art and politics.
by Walter Benjamin 1936
4.08
25k+ 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 88%
Genre is a filing system, not a listening guide. Twenty perceptual filters for the streaming age.
by Ben Ratliff 2016
3.29
910 ratings
Hertzian Tales
by Anthony Dunne • 1999
Electronic objects are behavioral scripts and portals to a hidden electromagnetic world.
4.26
125
Hertzian Tales Summary
Hertzian Tales 88%
Electronic objects are behavioral scripts and portals to a hidden electromagnetic world.
by Anthony Dunne 1999
4.26
125 ratings
What Is Art?
by Leo Tolstoy • 1897
Real art does one thing: transmit a feeling from artist to stranger. Everything else is decoration.
3.73
4k+
What Is Art? Summary
What Is Art? 88%
Real art does one thing: transmit a feeling from artist to stranger. Everything else is decoration.
by Leo Tolstoy 1897
3.73
4k+ ratings
The Art of Noticing
by Rob Walker • 2019
The cure for autopilot: 131 exercises that train your eye and fill your creative well.
3.77
3k+
The Art of Noticing Summary
The Art of Noticing 87%
The cure for autopilot: 131 exercises that train your eye and fill your creative well.
by Rob Walker 2019
3.77
3k+ ratings
Tragedy and Hope
by Carroll Quigley • 1966
Art turned ugly, stopped making sense, and became useless. That was its last honest act.
4.32
917
Tragedy and Hope Summary
Tragedy and Hope 87%
Art turned ugly, stopped making sense, and became useless. That was its last honest act.
by Carroll Quigley 1966
4.32
917 ratings
Art as Therapy
by Alain de Botton • 2013
Art as your emotional toolkit: how to find hope, memory, and balance without a therapist.
4.08
5k+
Art as Therapy Summary
Art as Therapy 87%
Art as your emotional toolkit: how to find hope, memory, and balance without a therapist.
by Alain de Botton 2013
4.08
5k+ ratings
Heaven and Hell
by Aldous Huxley • 1956
Art transports us because it mirrors visionary depths, and fear can turn heaven into hell.
3.52
1k+
Heaven and Hell Summary
Heaven and Hell 87%
Art transports us because it mirrors visionary depths, and fear can turn heaven into hell.
by Aldous Huxley 1956
3.52
1k+ ratings
The Poet's Guide to Life
by Rainer Maria Rilke • 2005
Rilke's letters become a field guide: how to turn solitude and loss into a deeper life.
4.12
368
The Poet's Guide to Life Summary
The Poet's Guide to Life 87%
Rilke's letters become a field guide: how to turn solitude and loss into a deeper life.
by Rainer Maria Rilke 2005
4.12
368 ratings
On Looking
by Alexandra Horowitz • 2013
The same city block holds eleven unseen worlds. A walk with those who can see them.
3.51
5k+
On Looking Summary
On Looking 87%
The same city block holds eleven unseen worlds. A walk with those who can see them.
by Alexandra Horowitz 2013
3.51
5k+ ratings
The Tell-Tale Brain
by V.S. Ramachandran • 2010
Mirror neurons, cells that fire whether you act or watch someone else, are what made us human.
4.15
11k+
The Tell-Tale Brain Summary
The Tell-Tale Brain 87%
Mirror neurons, cells that fire whether you act or watch someone else, are what made us human.
by V.S. Ramachandran 2010
4.15
11k+ ratings
The Art of Travel
by Alain de Botton • 2002
A change of scenery cannot cure what you carry inside. Travel is an art of attention.
3.82
26k+
The Art of Travel Summary
The Art of Travel 87%
A change of scenery cannot cure what you carry inside. Travel is an art of attention.
by Alain de Botton 2002
3.82
26k+ ratings
Deviate
by Beau Lotto • 2017
Your brain evolved for survival, not truth. That bias is the engine of creativity.
3.73
2k+
Deviate Summary
Deviate 87%
Your brain evolved for survival, not truth. That bias is the engine of creativity.
by Beau Lotto 2017
3.73
2k+ ratings
On Quality
by Robert M. Pirsig • 2021
Value isn't a judgment we add to reality. It is reality, and everything else follows.
3.64
387
On Quality Summary
On Quality 87%
Value isn't a judgment we add to reality. It is reality, and everything else follows.
by Robert M. Pirsig 2021
3.64
387 ratings
A Beautiful Question
by Frank Wilczek • 2015
From Pythagoras to quantum theory, a Nobel laureate shows beauty was always the compass of physics.
3.87
2k+
A Beautiful Question Summary
A Beautiful Question 87%
From Pythagoras to quantum theory, a Nobel laureate shows beauty was always the compass of physics.
by Frank Wilczek 2015
3.87
2k+ ratings
The Mind's Eye
by Oliver Sacks • 2010
Blindness doesn't silence the visual brain. It retrains it, exposing how perception is built.
3.92
14k+
The Mind's Eye Summary
The Mind's Eye 87%
Blindness doesn't silence the visual brain. It retrains it, exposing how perception is built.
by Oliver Sacks 2010
3.92
14k+ ratings
The Naive and the Sentimental Novelist
by Orhan Pamuk • 2010
Why great novels put you in a trance even as you know every word is invented.
3.95
3k+
The Naive and the Sentimental Novelist Summary
The Naive and the Sentimental Novelist 87%
Why great novels put you in a trance even as you know every word is invented.
by Orhan Pamuk 2010
3.95
3k+ ratings
Analyser un film, de l'émotion à l'interprétation
by Laurent Jullier • 2012
Great films work on you before you understand them. The method for closing that gap.
3.33
21
Analyser un film, de l'émotion à l'interprétation Summary
Analyser un film, de l'émotion à l'interprétation 87%
Great films work on you before you understand them. The method for closing that gap.
by Laurent Jullier 2012
3.33
21 ratings
Visual Methodologies
by Gillian Rose • 2001
Seven methods for interpreting images, one demand: know your own position and why it matters.
3.87
278
Visual Methodologies Summary
Visual Methodologies 87%
Seven methods for interpreting images, one demand: know your own position and why it matters.
by Gillian Rose 2001
3.87
278 ratings
Wabi Sabi
by Nobuo Suzuki • 2021
A Japanese philosophy that trades perfectionism for the beauty of cracks, age, and letting go.
4.20
1k+
Wabi Sabi Summary
Wabi Sabi 87%
A Japanese philosophy that trades perfectionism for the beauty of cracks, age, and letting go.
by Nobuo Suzuki 2021
4.20
1k+ ratings
Truth and Method
by Hans-Georg Gadamer • 1960
Understanding is an event language and tradition perform through you, not a method you apply.
4.17
4k+
Truth and Method Summary
Truth and Method 87%
Understanding is an event language and tradition perform through you, not a method you apply.
by Hans-Georg Gadamer 1960
4.17
4k+ ratings
The Eyes of the Skin
by Juhani Pallasmaa • 1996
Architecture feeds the eye and starves the body. The cure lies in touch, sound, and shadow.
4.38
4k+
The Eyes of the Skin Summary
The Eyes of the Skin 87%
Architecture feeds the eye and starves the body. The cure lies in touch, sound, and shadow.
by Juhani Pallasmaa 1996
4.38
4k+ ratings
Introduction to Phenomenology
by Robert Sokolowski • 1999
Consciousness is always reaching toward the world; phenomenology maps the structures of that reach.
4.03
541
Introduction to Phenomenology Summary
Introduction to Phenomenology 87%
Consciousness is always reaching toward the world; phenomenology maps the structures of that reach.
by Robert Sokolowski 1999
4.03
541 ratings
In the Blink of an Eye
by Walter Murch • 1995
An editor discovers, not assembles. The audience's blink reveals where every cut belongs.
4.21
9k+
In the Blink of an Eye Summary
In the Blink of an Eye 87%
An editor discovers, not assembles. The audience's blink reveals where every cut belongs.
by Walter Murch 1995
4.21
9k+ ratings
The Birth of Tragedy
by Friedrich Nietzsche • 1871
Greek tragedy died of rationalism, a suicide a culture is still paying for.
3.98
22k+
The Birth of Tragedy Summary
The Birth of Tragedy 87%
Greek tragedy died of rationalism, a suicide a culture is still paying for.
by Friedrich Nietzsche 1871
3.98
22k+ ratings
Home
Swipe
Library
Get App
Try Full Access for 3 Days
Listen, bookmark, and more
Compare Features Free Pro
📖 Read Summaries
Read unlimited summaries. Free users get 3 per month
🎧 Listen to Summaries
Listen to unlimited summaries in 40 languages
❤️ Unlimited Bookmarks
Free users are limited to 4
📜 Unlimited History
Free users are limited to 4
📥 Unlimited Downloads
Free users are limited to 1
Risk-Free Timeline
Today: Get Instant Access
Listen to full summaries of 26,000+ books. That's 12,000+ hours of audio!
Day 2: Trial Reminder
We'll send you a notification that your trial is ending soon.
Day 3: Your subscription begins
You'll be charged on Jul 25,
cancel anytime before.
Consume 2.8× More Books
2.8× more books Listening Reading
Our users love us
600,000+ readers
Trustpilot Rating
TrustPilot
4.6 Excellent
This site is a total game-changer. I've been flying through book summaries like never before. Highly, highly recommend.
— Dave G
Worth my money and time, and really well made. I've never seen this quality of summaries on other websites. Very helpful!
— Em
Highly recommended!! Fantastic service. Perfect for those that want a little more than a teaser but not all the intricate details of a full audio book.
— Greg M
Save 62%
Yearly
$119.88 $44.99/year/yr
$3.75/mo
Monthly
$9.99/mo
Start a 3-Day Free Trial
3 days free, then $44.99/year. Cancel anytime.
Unlock a world of fiction & nonfiction books
26,000+ books for the price of 2 books
Read any book in 10 minutes
Discover new books like Tinder
Request any book if it's not summarized
Read more books than anyone you know
#1 app for book lovers
Lifelike & immersive summaries
30-day money-back guarantee
Download summaries in EPUBs or PDFs
Cancel anytime in a few clicks
Scanner
Find a barcode to scan

We have a special gift for you
Open
38% OFF
DISCOUNT FOR YOU
$79.99
$49.99/year
only $4.16 per month
Continue
2 taps to start, super easy to cancel
Settings
General
Widget
Loading...
We have a special gift for you
Open
38% OFF
DISCOUNT FOR YOU
$79.99
$49.99/year
only $4.16 per month
Continue
2 taps to start, super easy to cancel