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...
Lives of the Artists
by Calvin Tomkins • 2008
When art has no fixed rules, the artist's life becomes the work. Ten portraits.
4.10
586
Lives of the Artists Summary
Lives of the Artists 89%
When art has no fixed rules, the artist's life becomes the work. Ten portraits.
by Calvin Tomkins 2008
4.10
586 ratings
Beauty
by Roger Scruton • 2009
From dinner tables to galleries, beauty is a rational demand we are ignoring.
3.95
3k+
Beauty Summary
Beauty 89%
From dinner tables to galleries, beauty is a rational demand we are ignoring.
by Roger Scruton 2009
3.95
3k+ ratings
The Story of Art Without Men
by Katy Hessel • 2022
Art history left out the women. Five centuries of painters and sculptors the canon overlooked.
4.29
5k+
The Story of Art Without Men Summary
The Story of Art Without Men 89%
Art history left out the women. Five centuries of painters and sculptors the canon overlooked.
by Katy Hessel 2022
4.29
5k+ 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 89%
Art defies every definition. A tour through the best philosophical attempts, and what survives.
by Noël Carroll 1999
3.88
204 ratings
Culture Care
by Makoto Fujimura • 2014
Art serves no purpose, which is why a culture choking on utility cannot survive without it.
4.24
1k+
Culture Care Summary
Culture Care 89%
Art serves no purpose, which is why a culture choking on utility cannot survive without it.
by Makoto Fujimura 2014
4.24
1k+ 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 89%
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
Painting and Experience in Fifteenth-Century Italy
by Michael Baxandall • 1972
Art appreciation in 15th-century Italy began with a contract and a barrel-gauging formula.
3.95
3k+
Painting and Experience in Fifteenth-Century Italy Summary
Painting and Experience in Fifteenth-Century Italy 89%
Art appreciation in 15th-century Italy began with a contract and a barrel-gauging formula.
by Michael Baxandall 1972
3.95
3k+ ratings
Aesthetics of Excess
by Jillian Hernandez • 2020
Too much style is how Black and Latina women expose the class politics neoliberalism hides.
4.26
42
Aesthetics of Excess Summary
Aesthetics of Excess 89%
Too much style is how Black and Latina women expose the class politics neoliberalism hides.
by Jillian Hernandez 2020
4.26
42 ratings
How to Be an Artist
by Jerry Saltz • 2020
A handbook for artists: the work, the network, the rejection, and staying in the game.
3.94
4k+
How to Be an Artist Summary
How to Be an Artist 89%
A handbook for artists: the work, the network, the rejection, and staying in the game.
by Jerry Saltz 2020
3.94
4k+ ratings
Monsters
by Claire Dederer • 2023
Our favorite art was made by awful people. A critic's personal, unresolved struggle with that fact.
3.68
23k+
Monsters Summary
Monsters 89%
Our favorite art was made by awful people. A critic's personal, unresolved struggle with that fact.
by Claire Dederer 2023
3.68
23k+ ratings
A History of India, Vol. 1
by Romila Thapar • 1990
How a 1999 sci-fi film exposed the simulation we were already living in.
3.63
2k+
A History of India, Vol. 1 Summary
A History of India, Vol. 1 89%
How a 1999 sci-fi film exposed the simulation we were already living in.
by Romila Thapar 1990
3.63
2k+ ratings
The Philosophy of Andy Warhol
by Andy Warhol • 1975
The most exciting thing is the thing you never do, and the best art is a dollar bill.
3.85
49k+
The Philosophy of Andy Warhol Summary
The Philosophy of Andy Warhol 89%
The most exciting thing is the thing you never do, and the best art is a dollar bill.
by Andy Warhol 1975
3.85
49k+ 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 89%
Why does a perfect copy feel less real? Benjamin's answer upends art and politics.
by Walter Benjamin 1936
4.08
25k+ ratings
Speculative Everything
by Anthony Dunne • 2013
Most design fixes problems. This design invents fictional worlds to test-drive better ones.
4.12
999
Speculative Everything Summary
Speculative Everything 89%
Most design fixes problems. This design invents fictional worlds to test-drive better ones.
by Anthony Dunne 2013
4.12
999 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 88%
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
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
When Clothes Become Fashion
by Ingrid Loschek • 2009
Clothing stays clothing until it's copied. Fashion runs on imitation, not originality.
4.04
26
When Clothes Become Fashion Summary
When Clothes Become Fashion 88%
Clothing stays clothing until it's copied. Fashion runs on imitation, not originality.
by Ingrid Loschek 2009
4.04
26 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 88%
Art as your emotional toolkit: how to find hope, memory, and balance without a therapist.
by Alain de Botton 2013
4.08
5k+ 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 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
The $12 Million Stuffed Shark
by Don Thompson • 2008
The art market runs on branding and insecurity. A $12 million dead shark proves it.
3.87
6k+
The $12 Million Stuffed Shark Summary
The $12 Million Stuffed Shark 88%
The art market runs on branding and insecurity. A $12 million dead shark proves it.
by Don Thompson 2008
3.87
6k+ 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 88%
Art turned ugly, stopped making sense, and became useless. That was its last honest act.
by Carroll Quigley 1966
4.32
917 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 88%
Seven methods for interpreting images, one demand: know your own position and why it matters.
by Gillian Rose 2001
3.87
278 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
Metamodernism and the Return of Transcendence
by A. Severan • 2021
Postmodernism erased transcendence. Metamodernism rebuilds it, but only inside art's frame.
4.23
43
Metamodernism and the Return of Transcendence Summary
Metamodernism and the Return of Transcendence 88%
Postmodernism erased transcendence. Metamodernism rebuilds it, but only inside art's frame.
by A. Severan 2021
4.23
43 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 Pursuit of Loneliness
by Philip Slater • 1970
America chose self-reliance. It got loneliness, and the hidden need for others is turning to rage.
4.08
287
The Pursuit of Loneliness Summary
The Pursuit of Loneliness 88%
America chose self-reliance. It got loneliness, and the hidden need for others is turning to rage.
by Philip Slater 1970
4.08
287 ratings
Music
by Ted Gioia • 2019
Why music's most forbidden elements are what actually make it change and survive.
4.00
817
Music Summary
Music 88%
Why music's most forbidden elements are what actually make it change and survive.
by Ted Gioia 2019
4.00
817 ratings
Habits of the Heart
by Robert N. Bellah • 1985
America's faith in the autonomous self has hollowed out its communities and left citizens isolated.
3.89
1k+
Habits of the Heart Summary
Habits of the Heart 88%
America's faith in the autonomous self has hollowed out its communities and left citizens isolated.
by Robert N. Bellah 1985
3.89
1k+ ratings
Information Is Beautiful
by David McCandless • 2001
Concept is the secret: why a simple, clever data drawing can reveal more than a supercomputer.
4.12
4k+
Information Is Beautiful Summary
Information Is Beautiful 88%
Concept is the secret: why a simple, clever data drawing can reveal more than a supercomputer.
by David McCandless 2001
4.12
4k+ ratings
Together
by Richard Sennett • 2011
The rituals and crafts that make cooperation possible are being dissolved by short-term capitalism.
3.81
469
Together Summary
Together 88%
The rituals and crafts that make cooperation possible are being dissolved by short-term capitalism.
by Richard Sennett 2011
3.81
469 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 88%
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
Distinction
by Pierre Bourdieu • 1979
Your taste is class warfare, fought on the terrain of art and food.
4.16
4k+
Distinction Summary
Distinction 88%
Your taste is class warfare, fought on the terrain of art and food.
by Pierre Bourdieu 1979
4.16
4k+ ratings
History of Modern Art
by H. Harvard Arnason • 1968
How a century of painters dismantled perspective, freed color, and rebuilt art from scratch.
4.01
9k+
History of Modern Art Summary
History of Modern Art 88%
How a century of painters dismantled perspective, freed color, and rebuilt art from scratch.
by H. Harvard Arnason 1968
4.01
9k+ ratings
Art and Fear
by David Bayles • 1994
Art is a skill, not a gift. The only secret to sustaining it: knowing how not to quit.
3.77
105k+
Art and Fear Summary
Art and Fear 88%
Art is a skill, not a gift. The only secret to sustaining it: knowing how not to quit.
by David Bayles 1994
3.77
105k+ 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 88%
Beauty was never absolute. Every era invents its own: from sacred light to industrial symmetry.
by Umberto Eco 2004
3.82
68k+ 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
Amusing Ourselves to Death
by Neil Postman • 1985
Television didn't just entertain us. It rewired how we think, argue, and vote.
4.17
40k+
Amusing Ourselves to Death Summary
Amusing Ourselves to Death 88%
Television didn't just entertain us. It rewired how we think, argue, and vote.
by Neil Postman 1985
4.17
40k+ ratings
The Art of Asking; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help
by Amanda Palmer • 2014
Fans gave her couches, food, then $1.2 million. The one rule: treat help as collaboration.
3.92
37k+
The Art of Asking; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help Summary
The Art of Asking; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help 88%
Fans gave her couches, food, then $1.2 million. The one rule: treat help as collaboration.
by Amanda Palmer 2014
3.92
37k+ ratings
Uses of Disorder
by Richard Sennett • 1970
The young craving for purity is architecting our cities into sterile, segregated cages.
3.88
258
Uses of Disorder Summary
Uses of Disorder 88%
The young craving for purity is architecting our cities into sterile, segregated cages.
by Richard Sennett 1970
3.88
258 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 88%
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
For the Beauty of the Church
by W. David O. Taylor • 2010
God planted beauty before obedience. Why the church cannot afford to sideline its artists.
4.00
276
For the Beauty of the Church Summary
For the Beauty of the Church 88%
God planted beauty before obedience. Why the church cannot afford to sideline its artists.
by W. David O. Taylor 2010
4.00
276 ratings
The Disappearance of Rituals
by Byung-Chul Han • 2019
Your exhaustion isn't overwork. It's a world that has stripped out every ritual.
3.98
3k+
The Disappearance of Rituals Summary
The Disappearance of Rituals 88%
Your exhaustion isn't overwork. It's a world that has stripped out every ritual.
by Byung-Chul Han 2019
3.98
3k+ ratings
Breaking Bad and Philosophy
by David R. Koepsell • 2012
A philosophy class uses Walter White to dissect moral rot, freedom, and the American Dream.
3.30
274
Breaking Bad and Philosophy Summary
Breaking Bad and Philosophy 88%
A philosophy class uses Walter White to dissect moral rot, freedom, and the American Dream.
by David R. Koepsell 2012
3.30
274 ratings
The Good Society
by Robert N. Bellah • 1991
Individualism gutted our institutions. Repair begins where the myth ends: we need each other.
3.66
105
The Good Society Summary
The Good Society 88%
Individualism gutted our institutions. Repair begins where the myth ends: we need each other.
by Robert N. Bellah 1991
3.66
105 ratings
The Fall of Public Man
by Richard Sennett • 1977
Public life once ran on masks, not sincerity. We tore them off and strangers became threats.
4.16
620
The Fall of Public Man Summary
The Fall of Public Man 88%
Public life once ran on masks, not sincerity. We tore them off and strangers became threats.
by Richard Sennett 1977
4.16
620 ratings
Find Your Artistic Voice
by Lisa Congdon • 2019
Voice is built, not born. Daily practice, borrowed influences, and the discomfort most artists flee.
4.05
3k+
Find Your Artistic Voice Summary
Find Your Artistic Voice 88%
Voice is built, not born. Daily practice, borrowed influences, and the discomfort most artists flee.
by Lisa Congdon 2019
4.05
3k+ ratings
There's No Going Back
by David M. Stewart • 2025
Punk rock, Haitian activism, and radical trust: how a Corman pupil built an unlikely Oscar career.
3.76
21
There's No Going Back Summary
There's No Going Back 88%
Punk rock, Haitian activism, and radical trust: how a Corman pupil built an unlikely Oscar career.
by David M. Stewart 2025
3.76
21 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
The Society of the Spectacle
by Guy Debord • 1967
Life is no longer lived but watched. A 1967 diagnosis of how images replaced reality.
4.03
24k+
The Society of the Spectacle Summary
The Society of the Spectacle 88%
Life is no longer lived but watched. A 1967 diagnosis of how images replaced reality.
by Guy Debord 1967
4.03
24k+ 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 31,
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