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...
The Great Divergence
by Kenneth Pomeranz • 2000
Europe's industrial breakthrough wasn't its own genius. It took colonial land and underground coal.
3.68
1k+
The Great Divergence Summary
The Great Divergence 95%
Europe's industrial breakthrough wasn't its own genius. It took colonial land and underground coal.
by Kenneth Pomeranz 2000
3.68
1k+ ratings
The Case for Colonialism
by Bruce Gilley • 2023
Start new colonies from scratch. The controversial solution to a century of post-colonial disaster.
4.32
191
The Case for Colonialism Summary
The Case for Colonialism 95%
Start new colonies from scratch. The controversial solution to a century of post-colonial disaster.
by Bruce Gilley 2023
4.32
191 ratings
The Origins of Political Order
by Francis Fukuyama • 2011
China built a modern state eighteen centuries before Europe. That gap reshapes political history.
4.18
10k+
The Origins of Political Order Summary
The Origins of Political Order 95%
China built a modern state eighteen centuries before Europe. That gap reshapes political history.
by Francis Fukuyama 2011
4.18
10k+ ratings
The Ends of the Earth
by Robert D. Kaplan • 1996
Rivers and soil shape nations more than constitutions. A journey to the frontiers where states fail.
4.11
2k+
The Ends of the Earth Summary
The Ends of the Earth 94%
Rivers and soil shape nations more than constitutions. A journey to the frontiers where states fail.
by Robert D. Kaplan 1996
4.11
2k+ ratings
The Bottom Billion
by Paul Collier • 2007
Four traps keep a billion people poor, and the usual remedies only tighten them.
3.85
8k+
The Bottom Billion Summary
The Bottom Billion 94%
Four traps keep a billion people poor, and the usual remedies only tighten them.
by Paul Collier 2007
3.85
8k+ ratings
Africa Is Not a Country
by Dipo Faloyin • 2022
Fifty-four countries, 1.4 billion people: the West keeps mistaking a continent for a country.
4.38
11k+
Africa Is Not a Country Summary
Africa Is Not a Country 94%
Fifty-four countries, 1.4 billion people: the West keeps mistaking a continent for a country.
by Dipo Faloyin 2022
4.38
11k+ ratings
The Asian Aspiration
by Greg Mills • 2020
From land reform in Taiwan to high-speed rail in China: the Asian model Africa should follow.
3.70
20
The Asian Aspiration Summary
The Asian Aspiration 93%
From land reform in Taiwan to high-speed rail in China: the Asian model Africa should follow.
by Greg Mills 2020
3.70
20 ratings
Gambling on Development
by Stefan Dercon • 2022
Elite bets on growth, not aid or policy, explain why some nations prosper and others stall.
4.02
275
Gambling on Development Summary
Gambling on Development 93%
Elite bets on growth, not aid or policy, explain why some nations prosper and others stall.
by Stefan Dercon 2022
4.02
275 ratings
The White Man's Burden
by William Easterly • 2006
$2.3 trillion in aid left the poorest no better off. A World Bank insider explains why.
3.83
6k+
The White Man's Burden Summary
The White Man's Burden 93%
$2.3 trillion in aid left the poorest no better off. A World Bank insider explains why.
by William Easterly 2006
3.83
6k+ ratings
Guns, Germs, and Steel
by Jared Diamond • 2005
Eurasia had wheat and an east-west axis. The Americas didn't. Geography decided who conquered whom.
4.04
467k+
Guns, Germs, and Steel Summary
Guns, Germs, and Steel 93%
Eurasia had wheat and an east-west axis. The Americas didn't. Geography decided who conquered whom.
by Jared Diamond 2005
4.04
467k+ ratings
Surrender or Starve
by Robert D. Kaplan • 1988
A Marxist regime weaponized famine in Ethiopia. The West's life-saving aid also financed the war.
3.67
474
Surrender or Starve Summary
Surrender or Starve 93%
A Marxist regime weaponized famine in Ethiopia. The West's life-saving aid also financed the war.
by Robert D. Kaplan 1988
3.67
474 ratings
War and Peace and War
by Peter Turchin • 2005
Empires aren't conquered. They dissolve from within, on a schedule that mathematics can model.
4.17
928
War and Peace and War Summary
War and Peace and War 93%
Empires aren't conquered. They dissolve from within, on a schedule that mathematics can model.
by Peter Turchin 2005
4.17
928 ratings
Pakistan
by Anatol Lieven • 2011
Why Pakistan outlasts every prediction of its collapse: kinship, not government, runs the country.
4.12
2k+
Pakistan Summary
Pakistan 93%
Why Pakistan outlasts every prediction of its collapse: kinship, not government, runs the country.
by Anatol Lieven 2011
4.12
2k+ ratings
Conquests and Cultures
by Thomas Sowell • 1998
Geography blocked Africa, conquests lifted Britain, and human capital explains the gap.
4.44
964
Conquests and Cultures Summary
Conquests and Cultures 93%
Geography blocked Africa, conquests lifted Britain, and human capital explains the gap.
by Thomas Sowell 1998
4.44
964 ratings
End Times
by Peter Turchin • 2023
Ten millennia of data point to two conditions for state collapse. America now meets both.
4.06
3k+
End Times Summary
End Times 93%
Ten millennia of data point to two conditions for state collapse. America now meets both.
by Peter Turchin 2023
4.06
3k+ ratings
The ANC Billionaires
by Pieter Du Toit • 2022
South Africa's peace made ANC insiders rich. 30 years later, the economic revolution hasn't begun.
3.91
142
The ANC Billionaires Summary
The ANC Billionaires 93%
South Africa's peace made ANC insiders rich. 30 years later, the economic revolution hasn't begun.
by Pieter Du Toit 2022
3.91
142 ratings
An Economy and a State for Lebanon
by Charbel Nahas • 2020
Behind Lebanon's crisis: a currency illusion, a sectarian spoils system, and a generation that fled.
4.33
15
An Economy and a State for Lebanon Summary
An Economy and a State for Lebanon 93%
Behind Lebanon's crisis: a currency illusion, a sectarian spoils system, and a generation that fled.
by Charbel Nahas 2020
4.33
15 ratings
Seeing Like a State
by James C. Scott • 1998
Why grand state plans fail: the same simplifications that make society governable make it fragile.
4.21
7k+
Seeing Like a State Summary
Seeing Like a State 93%
Why grand state plans fail: the same simplifications that make society governable make it fragile.
by James C. Scott 1998
4.21
7k+ ratings
We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families
by Philip Gourevitch • 1998
Seven pastors warned they would die tomorrow. The world read their letter and did nothing.
4.22
37k+
We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families Summary
We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families 93%
Seven pastors warned they would die tomorrow. The world read their letter and did nothing.
by Philip Gourevitch 1998
4.22
37k+ ratings
Empire
by Niall Ferguson • 2003
Piracy, sugar, and debt built the largest empire ever. The collapse outpaced the climb.
3.93
10k+
Empire Summary
Empire 93%
Piracy, sugar, and debt built the largest empire ever. The collapse outpaced the climb.
by Niall Ferguson 2003
3.93
10k+ ratings
White Malice
by Susan Williams • 2021
Africa's Cold War was a lie. America's real mission: control the uranium, crush independent leaders.
4.17
1k+
White Malice Summary
White Malice 93%
Africa's Cold War was a lie. America's real mission: control the uranium, crush independent leaders.
by Susan Williams 2021
4.17
1k+ ratings
The Least of All Possible Evils
by Eyal Weizman • 2012
When humanitarian law calculates acceptable civilian deaths, it also makes them thinkable.
4.19
224
The Least of All Possible Evils Summary
The Least of All Possible Evils 93%
When humanitarian law calculates acceptable civilian deaths, it also makes them thinkable.
by Eyal Weizman 2012
4.19
224 ratings
The Tyranny of Experts
by William Easterly • 2014
Poverty isn't a knowledge gap; it's a power gap. A century of development got it backward.
3.87
1k+
The Tyranny of Experts Summary
The Tyranny of Experts 93%
Poverty isn't a knowledge gap; it's a power gap. A century of development got it backward.
by William Easterly 2014
3.87
1k+ ratings
The J Curve
by Ian Bremmer • 2006
The path from oppression to openness runs through a valley where nations break.
3.73
524
The J Curve Summary
The J Curve 93%
The path from oppression to openness runs through a valley where nations break.
by Ian Bremmer 2006
3.73
524 ratings
The Afrikaners
by Hermann Giliomee • 2003
Three centuries of one people's making: from diverse origins to apartheid and the reckoning after.
4.18
136
The Afrikaners Summary
The Afrikaners 93%
Three centuries of one people's making: from diverse origins to apartheid and the reckoning after.
by Hermann Giliomee 2003
4.18
136 ratings
The Storm Before the Calm
by George Friedman • 2020
Every eighty years America's government breaks; every fifty, its economy. Now both arrive at once.
4.05
3k+
The Storm Before the Calm Summary
The Storm Before the Calm 93%
Every eighty years America's government breaks; every fifty, its economy. Now both arrive at once.
by George Friedman 2020
4.05
3k+ ratings
Christopher Columbus and the Afrikan Holocaust
by John Henrik Clarke • 1992
Columbus did not discover a new world. He launched a slave trade that built capitalism.
4.45
718
Christopher Columbus and the Afrikan Holocaust Summary
Christopher Columbus and the Afrikan Holocaust 93%
Columbus did not discover a new world. He launched a slave trade that built capitalism.
by John Henrik Clarke 1992
4.45
718 ratings
The Logic of Political Survival
by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita • 2003
Why democracies build roads and dictatorships build patronage: the math of political survival.
3.98
162
The Logic of Political Survival Summary
The Logic of Political Survival 93%
Why democracies build roads and dictatorships build patronage: the math of political survival.
by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita 2003
3.98
162 ratings
There Was a Country
by Chinua Achebe • 2012
A literary witness to Biafra: starvation, secession, and the three-year war that consumed millions.
4.04
3k+
There Was a Country Summary
There Was a Country 93%
A literary witness to Biafra: starvation, secession, and the three-year war that consumed millions.
by Chinua Achebe 2012
4.04
3k+ ratings
Monsoon
by Robert D. Kaplan • 2010
Half the world's oil passes through one ocean; two giants are racing to control it.
3.96
3k+
Monsoon Summary
Monsoon 93%
Half the world's oil passes through one ocean; two giants are racing to control it.
by Robert D. Kaplan 2010
3.96
3k+ ratings
Uncommon Wealth
by Kojo Koram • 2022
Offshore finance and debt traps: empire's playbook, tested abroad, now returned to reshape Britain.
4.29
508
Uncommon Wealth Summary
Uncommon Wealth 93%
Offshore finance and debt traps: empire's playbook, tested abroad, now returned to reshape Britain.
by Kojo Koram 2022
4.29
508 ratings
The Oil Curse
by Michael L. Ross • 2012
How petroleum creates autocrats, fuels rebellions, and shrinks women's economic power.
3.96
210
The Oil Curse Summary
The Oil Curse 92%
How petroleum creates autocrats, fuels rebellions, and shrinks women's economic power.
by Michael L. Ross 2012
3.96
210 ratings
The Handover
by David Runciman • 2023
Three inhuman agents run the world: states, corporations, and now AI. We have to pick one.
3.71
234
The Handover Summary
The Handover 92%
Three inhuman agents run the world: states, corporations, and now AI. We have to pick one.
by David Runciman 2023
3.71
234 ratings
Bankrupting the Third World
by James Morcan • 2015
The global poverty industry: why aid, loans, and conflict minerals ensure poor nations stay poor.
4.40
96
Bankrupting the Third World Summary
Bankrupting the Third World 92%
The global poverty industry: why aid, loans, and conflict minerals ensure poor nations stay poor.
by James Morcan 2015
4.40
96 ratings
Political Tribes
by Amy Chua • 2018
Vietnam, Iraq, and now America: the tribal instinct that loses wars is consuming us at home.
4.20
4k+
Political Tribes Summary
Political Tribes 92%
Vietnam, Iraq, and now America: the tribal instinct that loses wars is consuming us at home.
by Amy Chua 2018
4.20
4k+ ratings
National Identity
by Anthony D. Smith • 1991
Nations feel ancient, but they are modern inventions built from ethnic memories and myths.
3.71
243
National Identity Summary
National Identity 92%
Nations feel ancient, but they are modern inventions built from ethnic memories and myths.
by Anthony D. Smith 1991
3.71
243 ratings
Nations and Nationalism since 1780
by Eric J. Hobsbawm • 1990
Nationalism invented nations, not the reverse, and the two-century project is already decaying.
3.91
2k+
Nations and Nationalism since 1780 Summary
Nations and Nationalism since 1780 92%
Nationalism invented nations, not the reverse, and the two-century project is already decaying.
by Eric J. Hobsbawm 1990
3.91
2k+ ratings
Why Empires Fall
by Peter Heather and John Rapley • 1983
Barbarians didn't kill Rome; economic shifts on its frontiers did. The West is next.
3.60
962
Why Empires Fall Summary
Why Empires Fall 92%
Barbarians didn't kill Rome; economic shifts on its frontiers did. The West is next.
by Peter Heather and John Rapley 1983
3.60
962 ratings
The Pirates of Somalia
by Jay Bahadur • 2011
On a rattling Soviet plane, a journalist lands in Somalia to find the pirates everyone fears.
3.56
1k+
The Pirates of Somalia Summary
The Pirates of Somalia 92%
On a rattling Soviet plane, a journalist lands in Somalia to find the pirates everyone fears.
by Jay Bahadur 2011
3.56
1k+ 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 92%
Capitalism is a war system that uses markets, not an economic system that uses war.
by Éric Alliez 2016
3.93
29 ratings
The Scramble for Africa
by Thomas Pakenham • 1991
Livingstone begged to save Africa. Within a generation, it was carved up for rubber and gold.
4.15
3k+
The Scramble for Africa Summary
The Scramble for Africa 92%
Livingstone begged to save Africa. Within a generation, it was carved up for rubber and gold.
by Thomas Pakenham 1991
4.15
3k+ 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 92%
Buddhism has no god, no bible, no pope. What holds its many traditions together?
by Damien Keown 1996
3.74
3k+ ratings
In the Long Run
by Jonathan White • 2024
The future made democracy possible. Calculated, secret, and algorithmic futures are dismantling it.
3.78
85
In the Long Run Summary
In the Long Run 92%
The future made democracy possible. Calculated, secret, and algorithmic futures are dismantling it.
by Jonathan White 2024
3.78
85 ratings
The Future of Freedom
by Fareed Zakaria • 2003
Democracy without courts, rights, and restraints is just a machine for producing elected strongmen.
4.02
4k+
The Future of Freedom Summary
The Future of Freedom 92%
Democracy without courts, rights, and restraints is just a machine for producing elected strongmen.
by Fareed Zakaria 2003
4.02
4k+ ratings
Imagined Communities
by Benedict Anderson • 1983
Your nation is not ancient. Print markets, colonial maps, and selective forgetting built it.
4.11
17k+
Imagined Communities Summary
Imagined Communities 92%
Your nation is not ancient. Print markets, colonial maps, and selective forgetting built it.
by Benedict Anderson 1983
4.11
17k+ ratings
Silent Coup
by Claire Provost • 2023
Companies sue nations in secret tribunals, run private cities, command armies. Voters never agreed.
4.31
277
Silent Coup Summary
Silent Coup 92%
Companies sue nations in secret tribunals, run private cities, command armies. Voters never agreed.
by Claire Provost 2023
4.31
277 ratings
Kicking Away the Ladder
by Ha-Joon Chang • 2002
Tariffs, subsidies, and industrial espionage built the West. Now it preaches free trade to the rest.
4.21
1k+
Kicking Away the Ladder Summary
Kicking Away the Ladder 92%
Tariffs, subsidies, and industrial espionage built the West. Now it preaches free trade to the rest.
by Ha-Joon Chang 2002
4.21
1k+ ratings
Glimpses of World History
by Jawaharlal Nehru • 1934
From a British prison cell, a jailed father teaches his daughter all of world history.
4.32
2k+
Glimpses of World History Summary
Glimpses of World History 92%
From a British prison cell, a jailed father teaches his daughter all of world history.
by Jawaharlal Nehru 1934
4.32
2k+ ratings
Civilization
by Niall Ferguson • 2011
Five hundred years of Western rule rested on six innovations. The rest have now caught up.
3.86
10k+
Civilization Summary
Civilization 92%
Five hundred years of Western rule rested on six innovations. The rest have now caught up.
by Niall Ferguson 2011
3.86
10k+ ratings
Prisoners of Geography
by Tim Marshall • 2015
Geography ties presidents' hands more than ideology. The map cornering Napoleon is cornering Putin.
4.19
119k+
Prisoners of Geography Summary
Prisoners of Geography 92%
Geography ties presidents' hands more than ideology. The map cornering Napoleon is cornering Putin.
by Tim Marshall 2015
4.19
119k+ 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 22,
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