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...
Escaping the Housing Trap
by Charles L. Marohn Jr. • 2024
Housing can't be both affordable shelter and a good investment. That conflict is the trap.
4.37
503
Escaping the Housing Trap Summary
Escaping the Housing Trap 96%
Housing can't be both affordable shelter and a good investment. That conflict is the trap.
by Charles L. Marohn Jr. 2024
4.37
503 ratings
Nowhere to Live
by James S. Burling • 2024
Why can't Americans afford homes? A century of rules made building them illegal.
4.00
12
Nowhere to Live Summary
Nowhere to Live 95%
Why can't Americans afford homes? A century of rules made building them illegal.
by James S. Burling 2024
4.00
12 ratings
The Option of Urbanism
by Christopher B. Leinberger • 2007
America's car suburbs were built by policy, not consumer choice. The market now wants the opposite.
3.89
185
The Option of Urbanism Summary
The Option of Urbanism 95%
America's car suburbs were built by policy, not consumer choice. The market now wants the opposite.
by Christopher B. Leinberger 2007
3.89
185 ratings
The Great Inversion and the Future of the American City
by Alan Ehrenhalt • 2012
American metros are inverting: affluence returns downtown, immigrants settle the suburbs.
3.77
678
The Great Inversion and the Future of the American City Summary
The Great Inversion and the Future of the American City 94%
American metros are inverting: affluence returns downtown, immigrants settle the suburbs.
by Alan Ehrenhalt 2012
3.77
678 ratings
Triumph of the City
by Edward L. Glaeser • 2011
Poverty flocks to cities because cities are the escape route. The economic case for density.
3.91
6k+
Triumph of the City Summary
Triumph of the City 93%
Poverty flocks to cities because cities are the escape route. The economic case for density.
by Edward L. Glaeser 2011
3.91
6k+ ratings
Homelessness Is a Housing Problem
by Gregg Colburn • 2022
Homelessness rates don't track mental illness or poverty. They track rent and vacancy rates.
4.21
1k+
Homelessness Is a Housing Problem Summary
Homelessness Is a Housing Problem 93%
Homelessness rates don't track mental illness or poverty. They track rent and vacancy rates.
by Gregg Colburn 2022
4.21
1k+ ratings
On Power
by Robert A. Caro • 2017
How one man built a financial empire inside the government and became untouchable.
3.95
1k+
On Power Summary
On Power 93%
How one man built a financial empire inside the government and became untouchable.
by Robert A. Caro 2017
3.95
1k+ ratings
The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces
by William H. Whyte • 1980
A decade of time-lapse footage on New York plazas upended every assumption about what draws a crowd.
4.33
927
The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces Summary
The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces 93%
A decade of time-lapse footage on New York plazas upended every assumption about what draws a crowd.
by William H. Whyte 1980
4.33
927 ratings
The Color of Law
by Richard Rothstein • 2017
Federal policy, not private prejudice, segregated America. The proof is in the mortgage manuals.
4.44
47k+
The Color of Law Summary
The Color of Law 93%
Federal policy, not private prejudice, segregated America. The proof is in the mortgage manuals.
by Richard Rothstein 2017
4.44
47k+ ratings
Municipal Dreams
by John Boughton • 2018
Britain built some of the world's best public housing, then spent 40 years dismantling it.
3.92
769
Municipal Dreams Summary
Municipal Dreams 93%
Britain built some of the world's best public housing, then spent 40 years dismantling it.
by John Boughton 2018
3.92
769 ratings
Ghetto
by Mitchell Duneier • 2015
The ghetto was built in Venice. It took 500 years for America to perfect it.
3.75
583
Ghetto Summary
Ghetto 92%
The ghetto was built in Venice. It took 500 years for America to perfect it.
by Mitchell Duneier 2015
3.75
583 ratings
Curbing Traffic
by Melissa Bruntlett • 2021
Dutch cities prove removing cars heals loneliness, restores childhood, and makes everyone richer.
4.38
633
Curbing Traffic Summary
Curbing Traffic 92%
Dutch cities prove removing cars heals loneliness, restores childhood, and makes everyone richer.
by Melissa Bruntlett 2021
4.38
633 ratings
The Just City
by Susan S. Fainstein • 2010
Stop asking if a city is growing. Start asking who it's growing for.
3.75
174
The Just City Summary
The Just City 92%
Stop asking if a city is growing. Start asking who it's growing for.
by Susan S. Fainstein 2010
3.75
174 ratings
Happy City
by Charles Montgomery • 2012
Sprawl isolates and exhausts. The evidence for repairing cities around human connection and joy.
4.36
10k+
Happy City Summary
Happy City 92%
Sprawl isolates and exhausts. The evidence for repairing cities around human connection and joy.
by Charles Montgomery 2012
4.36
10k+ ratings
Capital City
by Samuel Stein • 2019
Gentrification is not a market outcome. It is policy, written by the real estate industry.
3.92
2k+
Capital City Summary
Capital City 92%
Gentrification is not a market outcome. It is policy, written by the real estate industry.
by Samuel Stein 2019
3.92
2k+ ratings
The Great Reset
by Richard Florida • 2010
Crashes rebuild how we live. Two gave us factories and suburbs. The third is remaking cities.
3.59
656
The Great Reset Summary
The Great Reset 92%
Crashes rebuild how we live. Two gave us factories and suburbs. The third is remaking cities.
by Richard Florida 2010
3.59
656 ratings
The Economy of Cities
by Jane Jacobs • 1969
Cities didn't follow farms; farms followed cities. That reversal explains every economic boom.
4.09
1k+
The Economy of Cities Summary
The Economy of Cities 92%
Cities didn't follow farms; farms followed cities. That reversal explains every economic boom.
by Jane Jacobs 1969
4.09
1k+ 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 92%
The young craving for purity is architecting our cities into sterile, segregated cages.
by Richard Sennett 1970
3.88
258 ratings
The Origins of the Urban Crisis
by Thomas J. Sugrue • 1996
Detroit collapsed from job loss and housing segregation decades before the 1967 riot finished it.
4.24
2k+
The Origins of the Urban Crisis Summary
The Origins of the Urban Crisis 92%
Detroit collapsed from job loss and housing segregation decades before the 1967 riot finished it.
by Thomas J. Sugrue 1996
4.24
2k+ ratings
Palaces for the People
by Eric Klinenberg • 2018
Stronger than seawalls: the shared spaces that hold communities together when everything breaks.
3.97
5k+
Palaces for the People Summary
Palaces for the People 92%
Stronger than seawalls: the shared spaces that hold communities together when everything breaks.
by Eric Klinenberg 2018
3.97
5k+ ratings
Road to Nowhere
by Paris Marx • 2022
The tech-driven transportation future is a dead end. The real fix: fewer cars, better transit.
4.16
643
Road to Nowhere Summary
Road to Nowhere 91%
The tech-driven transportation future is a dead end. The real fix: fewer cars, better transit.
by Paris Marx 2022
4.16
643 ratings
The New Urban Crisis
by Richard Florida • 2017
Why urban revival is driving inequality and pushing out the middle class.
3.49
1k+
The New Urban Crisis Summary
The New Urban Crisis 91%
Why urban revival is driving inequality and pushing out the middle class.
by Richard Florida 2017
3.49
1k+ ratings
Tactical Urbanism
by Mike Lydon • 2014
How to hack your city with paint, planters, and pop-up parks, and prove change is possible now.
3.99
315
Tactical Urbanism Summary
Tactical Urbanism 91%
How to hack your city with paint, planters, and pop-up parks, and prove change is possible now.
by Mike Lydon 2014
3.99
315 ratings
Streetfight
by Janette Sadik-Khan • 2016
Paint, data, and political nerve: beating the car-first status quo.
4.26
2k+
Streetfight Summary
Streetfight 91%
Paint, data, and political nerve: beating the car-first status quo.
by Janette Sadik-Khan 2016
4.26
2k+ ratings
Cities
by Monica L. Smith • 2019
Cities were never about efficiency. They were about all the things you cannot get alone.
3.26
446
Cities Summary
Cities 91%
Cities were never about efficiency. They were about all the things you cannot get alone.
by Monica L. Smith 2019
3.26
446 ratings
The Edifice Complex
by Deyan Sudjic • 2006
From Hitler's Reich Chancellery to the Bilbao Guggenheim, what monuments are really for.
3.8
380
The Edifice Complex Summary
The Edifice Complex 91%
From Hitler's Reich Chancellery to the Bilbao Guggenheim, what monuments are really for.
by Deyan Sudjic 2006
3.8
380 ratings
Life After Cars
by Sarah Goodyear • 2025
The cost of car dependency is hidden in plain sight. What happens when we build for people instead?
4.26
1k+
Life After Cars Summary
Life After Cars 91%
The cost of car dependency is hidden in plain sight. What happens when we build for people instead?
by Sarah Goodyear 2025
4.26
1k+ ratings
Smart Cities
by Anthony M. Townsend • 2013
Corporations are selling smart cities. A movement of civic hackers has a better blueprint.
3.61
817
Smart Cities Summary
Smart Cities 91%
Corporations are selling smart cities. A movement of civic hackers has a better blueprint.
by Anthony M. Townsend 2013
3.61
817 ratings
The Smart Enough City
by Ben Green • 2019
Smart cities dress up political problems as engineering ones. The fix is governance, not gadgets.
4.12
208
The Smart Enough City Summary
The Smart Enough City 91%
Smart cities dress up political problems as engineering ones. The fix is governance, not gadgets.
by Ben Green 2019
4.12
208 ratings
How to Kill a City
by Peter Moskowitz • 2017
Four cities, one playbook: policy and profit, not hipsters, push out the poor and replace them.
4.07
4k+
How to Kill a City Summary
How to Kill a City 91%
Four cities, one playbook: policy and profit, not hipsters, push out the poor and replace them.
by Peter Moskowitz 2017
4.07
4k+ ratings
Against the smart city
by Adam Greenfield • 2013
Smart cities sell efficiency but deliver surveillance. The real operating system is people.
3.96
132
Against the smart city Summary
Against the smart city 91%
Smart cities sell efficiency but deliver surveillance. The real operating system is people.
by Adam Greenfield 2013
3.96
132 ratings
Behind the Green Mask
by Rosa Koire • 2011
A veteran appraiser found that green policies are a UN blueprint to abolish private property.
4.28
365
Behind the Green Mask Summary
Behind the Green Mask 91%
A veteran appraiser found that green policies are a UN blueprint to abolish private property.
by Rosa Koire 2011
4.28
365 ratings
Radical Cities
by Justin McGuirk • 2014
The slums and squatter towers of Latin America are the world's most daring urban experiments.
4.27
434
Radical Cities Summary
Radical Cities 91%
The slums and squatter towers of Latin America are the world's most daring urban experiments.
by Justin McGuirk 2014
4.27
434 ratings
Four Lost Cities
by Annalee Newitz • 2021
Lost cities didn't vanish; their people walked away when rulers chose monuments over working sewers.
3.78
7k+
Four Lost Cities Summary
Four Lost Cities 91%
Lost cities didn't vanish; their people walked away when rulers chose monuments over working sewers.
by Annalee Newitz 2021
3.78
7k+ ratings
The Road Taken
by Henry Petroski • 2016
The $121 billion congestion tax: what the history of pavement says about fixing America's roads.
3.44
529
The Road Taken Summary
The Road Taken 90%
The $121 billion congestion tax: what the history of pavement says about fixing America's roads.
by Henry Petroski 2016
3.44
529 ratings
The Rise of the Creative Class
by Richard Florida • 2004
Jobs once followed factories. Now a class of creatives clusters in the most tolerant cities.
3.68
3k+
The Rise of the Creative Class Summary
The Rise of the Creative Class 90%
Jobs once followed factories. Now a class of creatives clusters in the most tolerant cities.
by Richard Florida 2004
3.68
3k+ ratings
At Home
by Bill Bryson • 2010
Every room in your house conceals a history of bloodshed, invention, and empire.
3.99
99k+
At Home Summary
At Home 90%
Every room in your house conceals a history of bloodshed, invention, and empire.
by Bill Bryson 2010
3.99
99k+ ratings
Gaffs
by Rory Hearne • 2022
Why Ireland's housing crisis is not a market failure but a government strategy to enrich investors.
3.52
171
Gaffs Summary
Gaffs 90%
Why Ireland's housing crisis is not a market failure but a government strategy to enrich investors.
by Rory Hearne 2022
3.52
171 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 90%
China built a modern state eighteen centuries before Europe. That gap reshapes political history.
by Francis Fukuyama 2011
4.18
10k+ ratings
The Lies of the Land
by Steven Conn • 2023
Farmers and crisis don't define rural America. Military bases, chains, and suburbia do.
3.98
148
The Lies of the Land Summary
The Lies of the Land 90%
Farmers and crisis don't define rural America. Military bases, chains, and suburbia do.
by Steven Conn 2023
3.98
148 ratings
The Anti-Oligarchy Constitution
by Joseph Fishkin • 2022
A lost constitutional tradition: preventing oligarchy as the government's first duty.
4.10
40
The Anti-Oligarchy Constitution Summary
The Anti-Oligarchy Constitution 90%
A lost constitutional tradition: preventing oligarchy as the government's first duty.
by Joseph Fishkin 2022
4.10
40 ratings
All That Is Solid
by Danny Dorling • 2014
Britain has a third more bedrooms than people. The housing disaster is engineered, not inevitable.
3.55
144
All That Is Solid Summary
All That Is Solid 90%
Britain has a third more bedrooms than people. The housing disaster is engineered, not inevitable.
by Danny Dorling 2014
3.55
144 ratings
Fiber
by Susan P. Crawford • 2018
Fiber is this century's electricity, and America skipped the wiring job.
3.87
159
Fiber Summary
Fiber 90%
Fiber is this century's electricity, and America skipped the wiring job.
by Susan P. Crawford 2018
3.87
159 ratings
Who's Your City?
by Richard Florida • 2008
Forty regions hold two-thirds of the world's wealth. Your zip code now outweighs your resume.
3.46
2k+
Who's Your City? Summary
Who's Your City? 90%
Forty regions hold two-thirds of the world's wealth. Your zip code now outweighs your resume.
by Richard Florida 2008
3.46
2k+ ratings
The Mystery Of Capital
by Hernando de Soto • 2000
$9.3 trillion: what the world's poor already own and cannot borrow a dime against.
3.99
4k+
The Mystery Of Capital Summary
The Mystery Of Capital 90%
$9.3 trillion: what the world's poor already own and cannot borrow a dime against.
by Hernando de Soto 2000
3.99
4k+ ratings
Justice at Work
by Marc Doussard • 2022
How coalitions fuse racial and economic justice to win policy in cities.
5.00
3
Justice at Work Summary
Justice at Work 90%
How coalitions fuse racial and economic justice to win policy in cities.
by Marc Doussard 2022
5.00
3 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 90%
Why grand state plans fail: the same simplifications that make society governable make it fragile.
by James C. Scott 1998
4.21
7k+ ratings
Poverty, by America
by Matthew Desmond • 2023
Poverty in America persists by design, fueled by exploitation and welfare that flows to the top.
4.27
64k+
Poverty, by America Summary
Poverty, by America 90%
Poverty in America persists by design, fueled by exploitation and welfare that flows to the top.
by Matthew Desmond 2023
4.27
64k+ ratings
Population 10 Billion
by Danny Dorling • 2013
We may never reach 10 billion people. The real threat is inequality, not numbers.
3.40
186
Population 10 Billion Summary
Population 10 Billion 90%
We may never reach 10 billion people. The real threat is inequality, not numbers.
by Danny Dorling 2013
3.40
186 ratings
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 90%
Europe's industrial breakthrough wasn't its own genius. It took colonial land and underground coal.
by Kenneth Pomeranz 2000
3.68
1k+ 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