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...
Selections from the Prison Notebooks
by Antonio Gramsci • 1947
Why revolutions fail: a jailed Marxist argues the real fight is over culture and common sense.
4.21
5k+
Selections from the Prison Notebooks Summary
Selections from the Prison Notebooks 93%
Why revolutions fail: a jailed Marxist argues the real fight is over culture and common sense.
by Antonio Gramsci 1947
4.21
5k+ ratings
Hegemony and Socialist Strategy
by Ernesto Laclau • 1985
Consensus is a mirage. Conflict is ineradicable; any left project that forgets this fails.
3.82
1k+
Hegemony and Socialist Strategy Summary
Hegemony and Socialist Strategy 91%
Consensus is a mirage. Conflict is ineradicable; any left project that forgets this fails.
by Ernesto Laclau 1985
3.82
1k+ ratings
Main Currents Of Marxism
by Leszek Kołakowski • 2005
Marxism's own contradictions made authoritarianism inevitable, not an aberration.
4.25
455
Main Currents Of Marxism Summary
Main Currents Of Marxism 90%
Marxism's own contradictions made authoritarianism inevitable, not an aberration.
by Leszek Kołakowski 2005
4.25
455 ratings
How to Change the World
by Eric J. Hobsbawm • 2011
The regimes that claimed Marx fell. After 2008, his analysis of capitalism became inescapable again.
3.88
988
How to Change the World Summary
How to Change the World 90%
The regimes that claimed Marx fell. After 2008, his analysis of capitalism became inescapable again.
by Eric J. Hobsbawm 2011
3.88
988 ratings
Hegemony How-To
by Jonathan Smucker • 2017
Activist is a political dead end: it isolates movements, excuses sympathizers, cedes power.
4.24
442
Hegemony How-To Summary
Hegemony How-To 90%
Activist is a political dead end: it isolates movements, excuses sympathizers, cedes power.
by Jonathan Smucker 2017
4.24
442 ratings
Agonistics
by Chantal Mouffe • 2013
Consensus is the liberal dream. Real democracy thrives on adversaries and a good fight.
3.87
351
Agonistics Summary
Agonistics 90%
Consensus is the liberal dream. Real democracy thrives on adversaries and a good fight.
by Chantal Mouffe 2013
3.87
351 ratings
The Old is Dying and the New Cannot Be Born
by Nancy Fraser • 2019
Progressive movements allied with finance, left working people behind, and the crisis isn't over.
3.93
1k+
The Old is Dying and the New Cannot Be Born Summary
The Old is Dying and the New Cannot Be Born 90%
Progressive movements allied with finance, left working people behind, and the crisis isn't over.
by Nancy Fraser 2019
3.93
1k+ ratings
Trouble in Paradise
by Slavoj Žižek • 2014
Financial crises don't break capitalism. They renew it. The way out was buried on purpose.
3.73
1k+
Trouble in Paradise Summary
Trouble in Paradise 90%
Financial crises don't break capitalism. They renew it. The way out was buried on purpose.
by Slavoj Žižek 2014
3.73
1k+ ratings
Slavoj Zizek
by Tony Myers • 2003
Your cynicism isn't rebellion. According to Žižek, it's the purest form of ideology.
3.82
266
Slavoj Zizek Summary
Slavoj Zizek 89%
Your cynicism isn't rebellion. According to Žižek, it's the purest form of ideology.
by Tony Myers 2003
3.82
266 ratings
Wars and Capital (Semiotext
by Éric Alliez • 2016
Capitalism is a war system that uses markets, not an economic system that uses war.
3.93
29
Wars and Capital (Semiotext Summary
Wars and Capital (Semiotext 89%
Capitalism is a war system that uses markets, not an economic system that uses war.
by Éric Alliez 2016
3.93
29 ratings
Introducing Cultural Studies
by Ziauddin Sardar • 1994
Your taste is a power move. Cultural studies explains the rules of the game.
3.50
448
Introducing Cultural Studies Summary
Introducing Cultural Studies 89%
Your taste is a power move. Cultural studies explains the rules of the game.
by Ziauddin Sardar 1994
3.50
448 ratings
Archaeologies of the Future
by Fredric Jameson • 2005
Utopia's function is not to predict the future but to prove the present is not inevitable.
4.04
596
Archaeologies of the Future Summary
Archaeologies of the Future 89%
Utopia's function is not to predict the future but to prove the present is not inevitable.
by Fredric Jameson 2005
4.04
596 ratings
The Sublime Object of Ideology
by Slavoj Žižek • 1989
We are cynical, not naive. The ideological illusion operates through our actions, not our beliefs.
4.07
6k+
The Sublime Object of Ideology Summary
The Sublime Object of Ideology 89%
We are cynical, not naive. The ideological illusion operates through our actions, not our beliefs.
by Slavoj Žižek 1989
4.07
6k+ ratings
Marx
by Peter Singer • 1980
Why Marx's critique of capitalism still explains inequality, globalization, and the climate crisis.
3.71
3k+
Marx Summary
Marx 89%
Why Marx's critique of capitalism still explains inequality, globalization, and the climate crisis.
by Peter Singer 1980
3.71
3k+ ratings
The Communist Manifesto and Other Writings
by Karl Marx • 2005
History is class struggle, and the bourgeoisie forged the weapons now aimed at its own throat.
3.63
2k+
The Communist Manifesto and Other Writings Summary
The Communist Manifesto and Other Writings 88%
History is class struggle, and the bourgeoisie forged the weapons now aimed at its own throat.
by Karl Marx 2005
3.63
2k+ ratings
Pedagogy of the Oppressed
by Paulo Freire • 1968
When a classroom treats students as empty accounts, it's not bad teaching; it is a political design.
4.30
40k+
Pedagogy of the Oppressed Summary
Pedagogy of the Oppressed 88%
When a classroom treats students as empty accounts, it's not bad teaching; it is a political design.
by Paulo Freire 1968
4.30
40k+ ratings
Homo Sacer
by Giorgio Agamben • 1994
Sovereignty's hidden purpose, revealed by a forgotten Roman law: the power to produce killable life.
4.06
5k+
Homo Sacer Summary
Homo Sacer 88%
Sovereignty's hidden purpose, revealed by a forgotten Roman law: the power to produce killable life.
by Giorgio Agamben 1994
4.06
5k+ 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
A Companion to Marx's Capital, Volume 1
by David Harvey • 2010
Capital, Volume 1, decoded: a guided tour through every concept, contradiction, and hidden argument.
4.26
2k+
A Companion to Marx's Capital, Volume 1 Summary
A Companion to Marx's Capital, Volume 1 88%
Capital, Volume 1, decoded: a guided tour through every concept, contradiction, and hidden argument.
by David Harvey 2010
4.26
2k+ ratings
Contesting Democracy
by Jan-Werner Müller • 2006
It wasn't democracy versus its enemies. It was a fight over what 'democracy' actually meant.
4.00
159
Contesting Democracy Summary
Contesting Democracy 88%
It wasn't democracy versus its enemies. It was a fight over what 'democracy' actually meant.
by Jan-Werner Müller 2006
4.00
159 ratings
The Sociology of Anthony Giddens
by Steven Loyal • 2003
Giddens built his sociology around individual freedom. It was always politics dressed as theory.
4.31
16
The Sociology of Anthony Giddens Summary
The Sociology of Anthony Giddens 88%
Giddens built his sociology around individual freedom. It was always politics dressed as theory.
by Steven Loyal 2003
4.31
16 ratings
One-Dimensional Man
by Herbert Marcuse • 1964
The prison of comfort: needs manufactured, desires satisfied, the very idea of escape erased.
3.98
8k+
One-Dimensional Man Summary
One-Dimensional Man 88%
The prison of comfort: needs manufactured, desires satisfied, the very idea of escape erased.
by Herbert Marcuse 1964
3.98
8k+ ratings
The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere
by Jürgen Habermas • 1962
Democracy was born in coffee houses and strangled by the mass media that followed.
3.87
2k+
The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere Summary
The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere 88%
Democracy was born in coffee houses and strangled by the mass media that followed.
by Jürgen Habermas 1962
3.87
2k+ ratings
Madilog
by Tan Malaka • 1946
Reality is material. Contradiction drives change. Dialectical thinking for an occupied mind.
4.26
3k+
Madilog Summary
Madilog 88%
Reality is material. Contradiction drives change. Dialectical thinking for an occupied mind.
by Tan Malaka 1946
4.26
3k+ ratings
The Relevance of the Communist Manifesto
by Slavoj Žižek • 2018
The Communist Manifesto foresaw virtual money, debt bondage, false choices. But offered no way out.
3.57
822
The Relevance of the Communist Manifesto Summary
The Relevance of the Communist Manifesto 88%
The Communist Manifesto foresaw virtual money, debt bondage, false choices. But offered no way out.
by Slavoj Žižek 2018
3.57
822 ratings
The Posthuman
by Rosi Braidotti • 2013
Humanism promised progress but delivered exclusion. A theory of what we become next.
3.82
949
The Posthuman Summary
The Posthuman 88%
Humanism promised progress but delivered exclusion. A theory of what we become next.
by Rosi Braidotti 2013
3.82
949 ratings
Explaining Postmodernism
by Stephen R.C. Hicks • 2004
When socialism failed, the academic Left didn't abandon the project. It abandoned truth instead.
3.88
2k+
Explaining Postmodernism Summary
Explaining Postmodernism 88%
When socialism failed, the academic Left didn't abandon the project. It abandoned truth instead.
by Stephen R.C. Hicks 2004
3.88
2k+ ratings
The Philosophical Discourse of Modernity
by Jürgen Habermas • 1985
Western philosophy bet everything on the individual knower. From Hegel onward, the bet kept losing.
3.90
1k+
The Philosophical Discourse of Modernity Summary
The Philosophical Discourse of Modernity 88%
Western philosophy bet everything on the individual knower. From Hegel onward, the bet kept losing.
by Jürgen Habermas 1985
3.90
1k+ ratings
Looking Awry
by Slavoj Žižek • 1991
Lacan's hardest ideas become visible when you watch Hitchcock with the wrong kind of attention.
4.02
2k+
Looking Awry Summary
Looking Awry 88%
Lacan's hardest ideas become visible when you watch Hitchcock with the wrong kind of attention.
by Slavoj Žižek 1991
4.02
2k+ ratings
Shitbürgertum
by Ulf Poschardt • 2025
Moral posturing, language control, contempt for ambition: how a parasitic class captured Germany.
3.21
301
Shitbürgertum Summary
Shitbürgertum 88%
Moral posturing, language control, contempt for ambition: how a parasitic class captured Germany.
by Ulf Poschardt 2025
3.21
301 ratings
Reconstructing Karl Polanyi
by Gareth Dale • 2016
Polanyi didn't want a friendlier market. He wanted democracy to rule the economy outright.
3.75
8
Reconstructing Karl Polanyi Summary
Reconstructing Karl Polanyi 88%
Polanyi didn't want a friendlier market. He wanted democracy to rule the economy outright.
by Gareth Dale 2016
3.75
8 ratings
Why Liberalism Failed
by Patrick J. Deneen • 2018
Liberalism didn't fail despite its successes. Its successes broke it.
3.84
4k+
Why Liberalism Failed Summary
Why Liberalism Failed 88%
Liberalism didn't fail despite its successes. Its successes broke it.
by Patrick J. Deneen 2018
3.84
4k+ ratings
Francis Fukuyama and the End of History
by Howard Williams • 1997
Hegel, Kant, Marx, and the claim that liberal democracy is the last political idea.
4.05
20
Francis Fukuyama and the End of History Summary
Francis Fukuyama and the End of History 88%
Hegel, Kant, Marx, and the claim that liberal democracy is the last political idea.
by Howard Williams 1997
4.05
20 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 88%
How a 1999 sci-fi film exposed the simulation we were already living in.
by Romila Thapar 1990
3.63
2k+ ratings
How to Read Lacan
by Slavoj Žižek • 2006
Canned laughter, borrowed desire, and the hidden logic that links sitcoms to totalitarianism.
3.94
4k+
How to Read Lacan Summary
How to Read Lacan 88%
Canned laughter, borrowed desire, and the hidden logic that links sitcoms to totalitarianism.
by Slavoj Žižek 2006
3.94
4k+ ratings
Only a Joke Can Save Us
by Todd McGowan • 2017
When lack and excess collide, laughter erupts. A philosopher shows why that shock is liberating.
4.32
37
Only a Joke Can Save Us Summary
Only a Joke Can Save Us 88%
When lack and excess collide, laughter erupts. A philosopher shows why that shock is liberating.
by Todd McGowan 2017
4.32
37 ratings
Less Than Nothing
by Slavoj Žižek • 2012
Reality is a hole in nothingness, propped up by fictions, and Hegel's dialectic is the map.
4.17
650
Less Than Nothing Summary
Less Than Nothing 88%
Reality is a hole in nothingness, propped up by fictions, and Hegel's dialectic is the map.
by Slavoj Žižek 2012
4.17
650 ratings
Symbolic Misery, Volume 1
by Bernard Stiegler • 2014
Industry has seized control of our shared symbols, destroying desire, community, and the self.
3.77
81
Symbolic Misery, Volume 1 Summary
Symbolic Misery, Volume 1 88%
Industry has seized control of our shared symbols, destroying desire, community, and the self.
by Bernard Stiegler 2014
3.77
81 ratings
Grundrisse
by Karl Marx • 1857
Labor creates all value. Capital extracts it. The system is engineered to self-destruct.
4.28
2k+
Grundrisse Summary
Grundrisse 88%
Labor creates all value. Capital extracts it. The system is engineered to self-destruct.
by Karl Marx 1857
4.28
2k+ ratings
What Is to Be Done?
by Vladimir Lenin • 1902
Workers alone only win wage fights. A secret vanguard must bring revolutionary thought from outside.
4.11
6k+
What Is to Be Done? Summary
What Is to Be Done? 88%
Workers alone only win wage fights. A secret vanguard must bring revolutionary thought from outside.
by Vladimir Lenin 1902
4.11
6k+ ratings
Against the Web
by Michael Brooks • 2020
Internet 'free-thinkers' rebrand old defenses of hierarchy with pseudoscience and myth.
4.10
2k+
Against the Web Summary
Against the Web 88%
Internet 'free-thinkers' rebrand old defenses of hierarchy with pseudoscience and myth.
by Michael Brooks 2020
4.10
2k+ ratings
The Practice and Theory of Bolshevism
by Bertrand Russell • 1920
Russell expected a workers' paradise. He found a religion enforced by secret police.
3.99
411
The Practice and Theory of Bolshevism Summary
The Practice and Theory of Bolshevism 88%
Russell expected a workers' paradise. He found a religion enforced by secret police.
by Bertrand Russell 1920
3.99
411 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
Dialogism
by Michael Holquist • 1990
All speech answers prior speech, all selves depend on others: the dialogic philosophy of Bakhtin.
4.09
88
Dialogism Summary
Dialogism 88%
All speech answers prior speech, all selves depend on others: the dialogic philosophy of Bakhtin.
by Michael Holquist 1990
4.09
88 ratings
Mythologies
by Roland Barthes • 1957
Wrestling, soap ads, and the Tour de France: how everyday life gets made to look inevitable.
4.08
17k+
Mythologies Summary
Mythologies 88%
Wrestling, soap ads, and the Tour de France: how everyday life gets made to look inevitable.
by Roland Barthes 1957
4.08
17k+ ratings
Socialism
by Friedrich Engels • 1880
Socialism is not a dream: it is the scientific endpoint of capitalism's own contradictions.
4.26
9k+
Socialism Summary
Socialism 88%
Socialism is not a dream: it is the scientific endpoint of capitalism's own contradictions.
by Friedrich Engels 1880
4.26
9k+ ratings
Race Marxism
by James Lindsay • 2022
Critical race theory is Marxism rebuilt around race, and its goal is not reform but revolution.
4.23
364
Race Marxism Summary
Race Marxism 88%
Critical race theory is Marxism rebuilt around race, and its goal is not reform but revolution.
by James Lindsay 2022
4.23
364 ratings
Karl Marx
by 50Minutes • 2015
Profit is unpaid labor: Marx's case that capitalism exploits workers and is headed for collapse.
Karl Marx Summary
Karl Marx 88%
Profit is unpaid labor: Marx's case that capitalism exploits workers and is headed for collapse.
by 50Minutes 2015
The End of the World As We Know It
by Immanuel Wallerstein • 1999
The modern world-system emerged in the 1500s. It will not survive this century.
4.01
137
The End of the World As We Know It Summary
The End of the World As We Know It 88%
The modern world-system emerged in the 1500s. It will not survive this century.
by Immanuel Wallerstein 1999
4.01
137 ratings
Taking it Big
by Stanley Aronowitz • 2012
He exposed concentrated power in a military-corporate alliance and called on thinkers to fight back.
4.08
12
Taking it Big Summary
Taking it Big 88%
He exposed concentrated power in a military-corporate alliance and called on thinkers to fight back.
by Stanley Aronowitz 2012
4.08
12 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 26,
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