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...
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 94%
Abstract painting is not emptiness but a spiritual language more direct than any image.
by Wassily Kandinsky 1912
3.83
93k+ ratings
Buddhism
by Damien Keown • 1996
Buddhism has no god, no bible, no pope. What holds its many traditions together?
3.74
3k+
Buddhism Summary
Buddhism 93%
Buddhism has no god, no bible, no pope. What holds its many traditions together?
by Damien Keown 1996
3.74
3k+ ratings
The Courage to Create
by Rollo May • 1975
Creativity needs limits, not freedom. Anxiety is the proof you are close to a breakthrough.
4.07
4k+
The Courage to Create Summary
The Courage to Create 92%
Creativity needs limits, not freedom. Anxiety is the proof you are close to a breakthrough.
by Rollo May 1975
4.07
4k+ 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 92%
Art transports us because it mirrors visionary depths, and fear can turn heaven into hell.
by Aldous Huxley 1956
3.52
1k+ ratings
The Architecture of Happiness
by Alain de Botton • 2006
The buildings we love don't just look good. They model the person we want to be.
3.86
15k+
The Architecture of Happiness Summary
The Architecture of Happiness 92%
The buildings we love don't just look good. They model the person we want to be.
by Alain de Botton 2006
3.86
15k+ 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 92%
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
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 92%
Art as your emotional toolkit: how to find hope, memory, and balance without a therapist.
by Alain de Botton 2013
4.08
5k+ ratings
Desire and Mental Health in Christianity and the Arts
by David Torevell • 2023
The West's mental health crisis has roots that psychology overlooks: a forgotten theology of desire.
Desire and Mental Health in Christianity and the Arts Summary
Desire and Mental Health in Christianity and the Arts 91%
The West's mental health crisis has roots that psychology overlooks: a forgotten theology of desire.
by David Torevell 2023
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 91%
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
The Equation That Couldn't Be Solved
by Mario Livio • 2005
A doomed French genius proved an equation unsolvable: his method became physics' hidden language.
3.89
2k+
The Equation That Couldn't Be Solved Summary
The Equation That Couldn't Be Solved 91%
A doomed French genius proved an equation unsolvable: his method became physics' hidden language.
by Mario Livio 2005
3.89
2k+ ratings
William Blake vs the World
by John Higgs • 2021
Blake saw angels and mapped the mind. Modern neuroscience is just catching up.
4.15
1k+
William Blake vs the World Summary
William Blake vs the World 91%
Blake saw angels and mapped the mind. Modern neuroscience is just catching up.
by John Higgs 2021
4.15
1k+ 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 91%
Plato banished poets for their power. Aesthetics made art safe, and the artist empty.
by Giorgio Agamben 1970
4.15
383 ratings
The Outsider
by Colin Wilson • 1956
The outsider feels reality too sharply to accept ordinary life. That crisis destroys, or awakens.
4.03
5k+
The Outsider Summary
The Outsider 91%
The outsider feels reality too sharply to accept ordinary life. That crisis destroys, or awakens.
by Colin Wilson 1956
4.03
5k+ 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
How Pleasure Works
by Paul Bloom • 2010
You don't enjoy what you sense; you enjoy what you believe. The underlying nature of pleasure.
3.71
4k+
How Pleasure Works Summary
How Pleasure Works 91%
You don't enjoy what you sense; you enjoy what you believe. The underlying nature of pleasure.
by Paul Bloom 2010
3.71
4k+ 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 91%
Terror produces the sublime. Smoothness and delicacy produce the beautiful. Two instincts, not one.
by Edmund Burke 1757
3.69
3k+ 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 91%
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
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 Poetics of Space
by Gaston Bachelard • 1957
Your childhood home is a blueprint of your mind: how cellars, attics, and corners form the psyche.
4.18
11k+
The Poetics of Space Summary
The Poetics of Space 91%
Your childhood home is a blueprint of your mind: how cellars, attics, and corners form the psyche.
by Gaston Bachelard 1957
4.18
11k+ 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 91%
Beauty demands universal agreement from nothing more than your own private feeling.
by Immanuel Kant 1790
4.10
10k+ ratings
Homo Ludens
by Johan Huizinga • 1938
Legal procedure and ritual both began as play. Modernity's error is pretending they didn't.
3.98
3k+
Homo Ludens Summary
Homo Ludens 91%
Legal procedure and ritual both began as play. Modernity's error is pretending they didn't.
by Johan Huizinga 1938
3.98
3k+ 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 91%
Clothing stays clothing until it's copied. Fashion runs on imitation, not originality.
by Ingrid Loschek 2009
4.04
26 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 91%
The sensory qualities of things now rival price and performance as economic forces.
by Virginia Postrel 2003
3.49
527 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 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 91%
Greek tragedy died of rationalism, a suicide a culture is still paying for.
by Friedrich Nietzsche 1871
3.98
22k+ ratings
Awakening From the Meaning Crisis
by John Vervaeke • 2024
The West's loss of meaning has a 40,000-year history. Tracing it reveals the exit.
4.70
69
Awakening From the Meaning Crisis Summary
Awakening From the Meaning Crisis 90%
The West's loss of meaning has a 40,000-year history. Tracing it reveals the exit.
by John Vervaeke 2024
4.70
69 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 90%
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
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 90%
Art appreciation in 15th-century Italy began with a contract and a barrel-gauging formula.
by Michael Baxandall 1972
3.95
3k+ ratings
Beyond the Robot
by Gary Lachman • 2016
A philosopher who used the occult, crime, and desire to map consciousness most people never reach.
4.42
109
Beyond the Robot Summary
Beyond the Robot 90%
A philosopher who used the occult, crime, and desire to map consciousness most people never reach.
by Gary Lachman 2016
4.42
109 ratings
Awake!
by Mark Vernon • 2025
What if imagination isn't fantasy but reality itself? Blake's vision makes the case.
4.35
60
Awake! Summary
Awake! 90%
What if imagination isn't fantasy but reality itself? Blake's vision makes the case.
by Mark Vernon 2025
4.35
60 ratings
We Who Wrestle with God
by Jordan B. Peterson • 2024
Genesis as a map of the psyche: lose the story, lose the structure of meaning.
3.93
4k+
We Who Wrestle with God Summary
We Who Wrestle with God 90%
Genesis as a map of the psyche: lose the story, lose the structure of meaning.
by Jordan B. Peterson 2024
3.93
4k+ 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 90%
Most design fixes problems. This design invents fictional worlds to test-drive better ones.
by Anthony Dunne 2013
4.12
999 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 90%
All speech answers prior speech, all selves depend on others: the dialogic philosophy of Bakhtin.
by Michael Holquist 1990
4.09
88 ratings
Look
by Christian Madsbjerg • 2023
Thinking without looking is guessing. Why the most insightful people observe before they analyze.
3.15
233
Look Summary
Look 90%
Thinking without looking is guessing. Why the most insightful people observe before they analyze.
by Christian Madsbjerg 2023
3.15
233 ratings
The Hero with a Thousand Faces
by Joseph Campbell • 1972
A scholar traced one story pattern through every myth on earth, and Hollywood never looked back.
4.12
46k+
The Hero with a Thousand Faces Summary
The Hero with a Thousand Faces 90%
A scholar traced one story pattern through every myth on earth, and Hollywood never looked back.
by Joseph Campbell 1972
4.12
46k+ ratings
Flatline Constructs
by Mark Fisher • 2018
Reality flatlined into the undead where cybernetics, gothic horror, and theory-as-fiction converge.
4.13
345
Flatline Constructs Summary
Flatline Constructs 90%
Reality flatlined into the undead where cybernetics, gothic horror, and theory-as-fiction converge.
by Mark Fisher 2018
4.13
345 ratings
The Holy Place
by Henry Lincoln • 1991
Decoding a priest's hidden messages reveals the French countryside is a vast geometric temple.
3.58
156
The Holy Place Summary
The Holy Place 90%
Decoding a priest's hidden messages reveals the French countryside is a vast geometric temple.
by Henry Lincoln 1991
3.58
156 ratings
The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind
by Julian Jaynes • 1976
Before introspection, humans heard gods. A theory of history explaining our search for certainty.
4.26
6k+
The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind Summary
The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind 90%
Before introspection, humans heard gods. A theory of history explaining our search for certainty.
by Julian Jaynes 1976
4.26
6k+ 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 90%
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
Religion for Atheists
by Alain de Botton • 2011
Atheism won by disproving God. It lost by discarding everything religion knew about human needs.
3.66
12k+
Religion for Atheists Summary
Religion for Atheists 90%
Atheism won by disproving God. It lost by discarding everything religion knew about human needs.
by Alain de Botton 2011
3.66
12k+ 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 90%
We traded myth for reason and got neither meaning nor a world we can bear.
by Karen Armstrong 2005
3.69
7k+ 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 90%
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
Aion
by C.G. Jung • 1951
Christ is the psyche’s wholeness symbol missing its dark half; the shadow demands integration.
4.37
2k+
Aion Summary
Aion 90%
Christ is the psyche’s wholeness symbol missing its dark half; the shadow demands integration.
by C.G. Jung 1951
4.37
2k+ ratings
Mystery
by Jonah Lehrer • 2021
Clarity is overrated: why your brain needs the unknown to stay curious, creative, and connected.
3.84
189
Mystery Summary
Mystery 90%
Clarity is overrated: why your brain needs the unknown to stay curious, creative, and connected.
by Jonah Lehrer 2021
3.84
189 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 90%
How the occult belief that mind shapes reality captured Trump, Putin, and the alt-right.
by Gary Lachman 2018
3.85
517 ratings
The Invisible Landscape
by Terence McKenna • 1975
A psychedelic expedition into the I Ching reveals time as a fractal wave plunging toward zero.
3.99
1k+
The Invisible Landscape Summary
The Invisible Landscape 90%
A psychedelic expedition into the I Ching reveals time as a fractal wave plunging toward zero.
by Terence McKenna 1975
3.99
1k+ ratings
Symmetry
by Marcus du Sautoy • 2007
Symmetry is not just pretty. It solves equations, builds viruses, and corrects your text messages.
3.82
857
Symmetry Summary
Symmetry 90%
Symmetry is not just pretty. It solves equations, builds viruses, and corrects your text messages.
by Marcus du Sautoy 2007
3.82
857 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 90%
Lacan's hardest ideas become visible when you watch Hitchcock with the wrong kind of attention.
by Slavoj Žižek 1991
4.02
2k+ 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 90%
De Sade, Byron, and the 'perverts' who followed weren't just deviants but mystics chasing intensity.
by Colin Wilson 1988
3.69
121 ratings
The Matter With Things
by Iain McGilchrist • 2021
Your left hemisphere built the modern world. It is also why everything is falling apart.
4.76
567
The Matter With Things Summary
The Matter With Things 90%
Your left hemisphere built the modern world. It is also why everything is falling apart.
by Iain McGilchrist 2021
4.76
567 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 Aug 29,
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