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SoBrief

History Book Summaries

Making It in America
by Rachel Slade • 2024
Sixty thousand American factories shuttered since NAFTA. One couple bet everything to open just one.
3.63
323
Making It in America Summary
Making It in America
Sixty thousand American factories shuttered since NAFTA. One couple bet everything to open just one.
by Rachel Slade 2024 352 pages
3.63
323 ratings
How Infrastructure Works
by Deb Chachra • 2023
The hidden networks you rely on were built for a climate that no longer exists.
3.64
500+
How Infrastructure Works Summary
How Infrastructure Works
The hidden networks you rely on were built for a climate that no longer exists.
by Deb Chachra 2023 320 pages
3.64
500+ ratings
The Bible Tells Me So
by Peter Enns • 2014
Defending perfection made the Bible unreadable; its messy humanity is the real gift.
4.22
5k+
The Bible Tells Me So Summary
The Bible Tells Me So
Defending perfection made the Bible unreadable; its messy humanity is the real gift.
by Peter Enns 2014 288 pages
4.22
5k+ ratings
Cod
by Mark Kurlansky • 1997
The fish that built empires and fueled a slave trade. Then it stopped coming back.
3.92
25k+
Cod Summary
Cod
The fish that built empires and fueled a slave trade. Then it stopped coming back.
by Mark Kurlansky 1997 294 pages
3.92
25k+ ratings
You Can't Read This Book
by Nick Cohen • 2012
Censorship didn't vanish after book burnings. It learned to smile and send a legal notice.
4.08
500+
You Can't Read This Book Summary
You Can't Read This Book
Censorship didn't vanish after book burnings. It learned to smile and send a legal notice.
by Nick Cohen 2012
4.08
500+ ratings
The Dark Valley
by Piers Brendon • 2000
The 1930s: a single global story of economic collapse, appeasement, and terror feeding the next war.
4.18
500+
The Dark Valley Summary
The Dark Valley
The 1930s: a single global story of economic collapse, appeasement, and terror feeding the next war.
by Piers Brendon 2000 848 pages
4.18
500+ ratings
The Theory of Almost Everything
by Robert Oerter • 2005
The Standard Model explains everything we see except gravity, but 85% of the universe is missing.
4.08
500+
The Theory of Almost Everything Summary
The Theory of Almost Everything
The Standard Model explains everything we see except gravity, but 85% of the universe is missing.
by Robert Oerter 2005 336 pages
4.08
500+ ratings
Lectures of Col. Robert Green Ingersoll
by Robert G. Ingersoll • 1942
Bible's God commands atrocities; its devil shows more mercy. Ingersoll's case for reason over faith.
4.60
119
Lectures of Col. Robert Green Ingersoll Summary
Lectures of Col. Robert Green Ingersoll
Bible's God commands atrocities; its devil shows more mercy. Ingersoll's case for reason over faith.
by Robert G. Ingersoll 1942 334 pages
4.60
119 ratings
Napoleon on Project Management
by Jerry Manas • 2006
Napoleon's battle tested rules for leading projects: speed, simplicity, and knowing when to quit.
3.66
93
Napoleon on Project Management Summary
Napoleon on Project Management
Napoleon's battle tested rules for leading projects: speed, simplicity, and knowing when to quit.
by Jerry Manas 2006 288 pages
3.66
93 ratings
History of the Peloponnesian War
by Thucydides
Athens rose, Sparta panicked, and a 27-year catastrophe was the only outcome.
3.95
40k+
History of the Peloponnesian War Summary
History of the Peloponnesian War
Athens rose, Sparta panicked, and a 27-year catastrophe was the only outcome.
by Thucydides 648 pages
3.95
40k+ ratings
Diaries 1969-1979
by Michael Palin • 2006
The Python years, day by day: Palin's diaries from the decade they built a comedy revolution.
4.04
3k+
Diaries 1969-1979 Summary
Diaries 1969-1979
The Python years, day by day: Palin's diaries from the decade they built a comedy revolution.
by Michael Palin 2006 650 pages
4.04
3k+ ratings
A Sense of the Mysterious
by Alan Lightman • 2005
The creative fire behind cold equations: a physicist-novelist on what science shares with art.
3.82
500+
A Sense of the Mysterious Summary
A Sense of the Mysterious
The creative fire behind cold equations: a physicist-novelist on what science shares with art.
by Alan Lightman 2005 224 pages
3.82
500+ ratings
The Melting Point
by Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. • 2024
The general who killed Soleimani tells the inside story of America's Middle East wars.
4.30
175
The Melting Point Summary
The Melting Point
The general who killed Soleimani tells the inside story of America's Middle East wars.
by Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. 2024 360 pages
4.30
175 ratings
Revolt Against the Modern World
by Julius Evola • 1934
Progress is backwards: history is the long descent from sacred kingship to the rule of the masses.
3.98
2k+
Revolt Against the Modern World Summary
Revolt Against the Modern World
Progress is backwards: history is the long descent from sacred kingship to the rule of the masses.
by Julius Evola 1934 375 pages
3.98
2k+ ratings
A Theory of Everything (That Matters)
by Alister E. McGrath • 2019
Einstein rewrote space, time, and gravity. The mystery at the edges, he called God.
3.86
155
A Theory of Everything (That Matters) Summary
A Theory of Everything (That Matters)
Einstein rewrote space, time, and gravity. The mystery at the edges, he called God.
by Alister E. McGrath 2019 240 pages
3.86
155 ratings
Attack of the 50 Foot Blockchain
by David Gerard • 2017
Blockchain was meant to kill banks. It gave us hacks, bubbles, and seven transactions a second.
3.95
1k+
Attack of the 50 Foot Blockchain Summary
Attack of the 50 Foot Blockchain
Blockchain was meant to kill banks. It gave us hacks, bubbles, and seven transactions a second.
by David Gerard 2017 235 pages
3.95
1k+ ratings
Bailout Nation
by Barry Ritholtz • 2009
Wall Street keeps the upside. Taxpayers eat the losses. How America rewrote the rules of capitalism.
3.87
500+
Bailout Nation Summary
Bailout Nation
Wall Street keeps the upside. Taxpayers eat the losses. How America rewrote the rules of capitalism.
by Barry Ritholtz 2009 352 pages
3.87
500+ ratings
You Belong to the Universe
by Jonathan Keats • 2016
Buckminster Fuller never built a world-saving machine. He invented a way of thinking that could.
3.65
393
You Belong to the Universe Summary
You Belong to the Universe
Buckminster Fuller never built a world-saving machine. He invented a way of thinking that could.
by Jonathan Keats 2016 216 pages
3.65
393 ratings
A Letter to Liberals
by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. • 2022
Science silenced, dissent crushed, trillions siphoned: the pandemic response that liberals policed.
4.39
359
A Letter to Liberals Summary
A Letter to Liberals
Science silenced, dissent crushed, trillions siphoned: the pandemic response that liberals policed.
by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 2022 123 pages
4.39
359 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
The clean lines of minimalism hide a messy history: Zen monks, art rebels, and $8,200 stereos.
by Kyle Chayka 2020 272 pages
3.45
1k+ ratings
Freak Kingdom
by Timothy Denevi • 2018
Hunter S. Thompson spent a deadly serious decade trying to stop America's descent into fascism.
4.26
500+
Freak Kingdom Summary
Freak Kingdom
Hunter S. Thompson spent a deadly serious decade trying to stop America's descent into fascism.
by Timothy Denevi 2018 416 pages
4.26
500+ ratings
Booster Shots
by Adam Ratner • 2025
Measles erases immune memory. It also erases societal memory, and that amnesia is more dangerous.
4.33
500+
Booster Shots Summary
Booster Shots
Measles erases immune memory. It also erases societal memory, and that amnesia is more dangerous.
by Adam Ratner 2025 288 pages
4.33
500+ ratings
Caged Lion
by John Howard Steel • 2020
A prison camp origin, a community of dancers, and a courtroom fight that kept Pilates free.
4.32
500+
Caged Lion Summary
Caged Lion
A prison camp origin, a community of dancers, and a courtroom fight that kept Pilates free.
by John Howard Steel 2020 215 pages
4.32
500+ ratings
Do You Believe in Magic?
by Paul A. Offit • 2013
A billion-dollar industry runs on loopholes, hope, and the placebo effect, not science.
4.11
3k+
Do You Believe in Magic? Summary
Do You Believe in Magic?
A billion-dollar industry runs on loopholes, hope, and the placebo effect, not science.
by Paul A. Offit 2013 304 pages
4.11
3k+ ratings
Pandora's Seed
by Spencer Wells • 2010
Farming gave us civilization. It also gave us chronic disease, overstimulation, and fundamentalism.
3.76
1k+
Pandora's Seed Summary
Pandora's Seed
Farming gave us civilization. It also gave us chronic disease, overstimulation, and fundamentalism.
by Spencer Wells 2010 256 pages
3.76
1k+ ratings
Invention and Innovation
by Vaclav Smil • 2023
Moore's Law is an outlier. Everywhere else, innovation crawls, stumbles, or backfires.
3.84
1k+
Invention and Innovation Summary
Invention and Innovation
Moore's Law is an outlier. Everywhere else, innovation crawls, stumbles, or backfires.
by Vaclav Smil 2023 225 pages
3.84
1k+ ratings
Becoming Leonardo
by Mike Lankford • 2017
Illegitimate, arrested, haunted by brutality: the wounds behind Leonardo da Vinci's genius.
4.00
320
Becoming Leonardo Summary
Becoming Leonardo
Illegitimate, arrested, haunted by brutality: the wounds behind Leonardo da Vinci's genius.
by Mike Lankford 2017 304 pages
4.00
320 ratings
A Bite-Sized History of France
by Stephane Henaut • 2018
French cuisine is a global collage. The myth of purity, dismantled one dish at a time.
4.19
2k+
A Bite-Sized History of France Summary
A Bite-Sized History of France
French cuisine is a global collage. The myth of purity, dismantled one dish at a time.
by Stephane Henaut 2018 352 pages
4.19
2k+ ratings
Authors of the Impossible
by Jeffrey J. Kripal • 2010
Ghosts, telepathy, UFOs: four scholars who read the impossible as a message, not a mistake.
4.15
289
Authors of the Impossible Summary
Authors of the Impossible
Ghosts, telepathy, UFOs: four scholars who read the impossible as a message, not a mistake.
by Jeffrey J. Kripal 2010 332 pages
4.15
289 ratings
Wittgenstein
by Anthony Kenny • 1973
He built a perfect logical language, then demolished it. Meaning is public, not private.
3.87
197
Wittgenstein Summary
Wittgenstein
He built a perfect logical language, then demolished it. Meaning is public, not private.
by Anthony Kenny 1973 256 pages
3.87
197 ratings
Economies and Cultures
by Richard R. Wilk • 1996
The rational market actor is a myth: economic life runs on gifts, status, and cultural meaning.
3.79
114
Economies and Cultures Summary
Economies and Cultures
The rational market actor is a myth: economic life runs on gifts, status, and cultural meaning.
by Richard R. Wilk 1996 252 pages
3.79
114 ratings
The Craftsman
by Richard Sennett • 2008
Making things well is a universal human drive. Modern work is designed to suppress it.
3.84
2k+
The Craftsman Summary
The Craftsman
Making things well is a universal human drive. Modern work is designed to suppress it.
by Richard Sennett 2008 336 pages
3.84
2k+ ratings
What Can Aristotle Do For You?
by Edith Hall • 2018
From decision-making to facing death: Aristotle's twelve practical rules for a flourishing life.
3.68
1k+
What Can Aristotle Do For You? Summary
What Can Aristotle Do For You?
From decision-making to facing death: Aristotle's twelve practical rules for a flourishing life.
by Edith Hall 2018
3.68
1k+ ratings
They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us
by Hanif Abdurraqib • 2017
A poet traces the pulse beneath Black America's grief and defiance, from punk shows to funerals.
4.55
19k+
They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us Summary
They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us
A poet traces the pulse beneath Black America's grief and defiance, from punk shows to funerals.
by Hanif Abdurraqib 2017 291 pages
4.55
19k+ ratings
Meltdown
by Thomas E. Woods Jr. • 2009
The 2008 crash was a government failure, not a market one, and the bailout guarantees another.
4.08
2k+
Meltdown Summary
Meltdown
The 2008 crash was a government failure, not a market one, and the bailout guarantees another.
by Thomas E. Woods Jr. 2009 194 pages
4.08
2k+ ratings
A State of Fear
by Laura Dodsworth • 2021
The UK government orchestrated fear to secure pandemic compliance. How it worked, and what it broke.
4.31
500+
A State of Fear Summary
A State of Fear
The UK government orchestrated fear to secure pandemic compliance. How it worked, and what it broke.
by Laura Dodsworth 2021 320 pages
4.31
500+ ratings
The Big Burn
by Timothy Egan • 2009
Congress tried to kill the Forest Service; a 3.2-million-acre fire saved it instead.
4.14
18k+
The Big Burn Summary
The Big Burn
Congress tried to kill the Forest Service; a 3.2-million-acre fire saved it instead.
by Timothy Egan 2009 349 pages
4.14
18k+ ratings
Sea of Glory
by Nathaniel Philbrick • 2001
The voyage that mapped Antarctica and filled the Smithsonian, sabotaged by the tyrant who led it.
4.04
7k+
Sea of Glory Summary
Sea of Glory
The voyage that mapped Antarctica and filled the Smithsonian, sabotaged by the tyrant who led it.
by Nathaniel Philbrick 2001 452 pages
4.04
7k+ ratings
The Right Chemistry
by Joe Schwarcz • 2012
Why soap cleans, what killed Napoleon, and 106 other chemical mysteries of daily life.
3.84
79
The Right Chemistry Summary
The Right Chemistry
Why soap cleans, what killed Napoleon, and 106 other chemical mysteries of daily life.
by Joe Schwarcz 2012 304 pages
3.84
79 ratings
COUNSELOR
by Theodore C. Sorensen • 2008
Kennedy's speechwriter and closest advisor for eleven years tells what the history books leave out.
4.05
1k+
COUNSELOR Summary
COUNSELOR
Kennedy's speechwriter and closest advisor for eleven years tells what the history books leave out.
by Theodore C. Sorensen 2008 556 pages
4.05
1k+ ratings
Over the Edge
by Greg Child • 2002
Four climbers pushed their captor off a cliff to escape. Then they learned he survived.
3.78
500+
Over the Edge Summary
Over the Edge
Four climbers pushed their captor off a cliff to escape. Then they learned he survived.
by Greg Child 2002 304 pages
3.78
500+ ratings
Good Morning, Mr. Mandela
by Zelda la Grange • 2014
Nelson Mandela's most trusted aide was a white Afrikaner woman who grew up believing in apartheid.
3.80
1k+
Good Morning, Mr. Mandela Summary
Good Morning, Mr. Mandela
Nelson Mandela's most trusted aide was a white Afrikaner woman who grew up believing in apartheid.
by Zelda la Grange 2014 375 pages
3.80
1k+ ratings
A Brief History Of Bali
by Willard A. Hanna • 1976
How Bali survived piracy, slavery, and colonialism to become the paradise tourists see today.
3.45
128
A Brief History Of Bali Summary
A Brief History Of Bali
How Bali survived piracy, slavery, and colonialism to become the paradise tourists see today.
by Willard A. Hanna 1976 288 pages
3.45
128 ratings
Manifesta
by Jennifer Baumgardner • 2000
The next wave is hot pink, unapologetic, and political: feminism didn't die, it changed its look.
3.73
3k+
Manifesta Summary
Manifesta
The next wave is hot pink, unapologetic, and political: feminism didn't die, it changed its look.
by Jennifer Baumgardner 2000 416 pages
3.73
3k+ ratings
Sons of Wichita
by Daniel Schulman • 2014
Four Kansas brothers, a billion-dollar feud, and the political machine that remade the GOP.
3.85
2k+
Sons of Wichita Summary
Sons of Wichita
Four Kansas brothers, a billion-dollar feud, and the political machine that remade the GOP.
by Daniel Schulman 2014 372 pages
3.85
2k+ ratings
Going Gray
by Anne Kreamer • 2007
She stopped dyeing her hair, posted the gray photo, and her dating matches tripled.
3.36
1k+
Going Gray Summary
Going Gray
She stopped dyeing her hair, posted the gray photo, and her dating matches tripled.
by Anne Kreamer 2007 224 pages
3.36
1k+ ratings
Islam and Democracy
by Fatema Mernissi • 1992
The Arab world resists democracy not over scripture but over a deeper terror: the free individual.
3.83
210
Islam and Democracy Summary
Islam and Democracy
The Arab world resists democracy not over scripture but over a deeper terror: the free individual.
by Fatema Mernissi 1992 197 pages
3.83
210 ratings
The Monk as Man
by Sankar • 2011
He fought lawsuits, begged a maharaja, and insisted a monk who cannot cook well is useless.
3.89
316
The Monk as Man Summary
The Monk as Man
He fought lawsuits, begged a maharaja, and insisted a monk who cannot cook well is useless.
by Sankar 2011 264 pages
3.89
316 ratings
In Service of the Republic
by Vijay Kelkar • 2019
India's economic crisis is a crisis of state capacity, not of policy ideas.
4.23
379
In Service of the Republic Summary
In Service of the Republic
India's economic crisis is a crisis of state capacity, not of policy ideas.
by Vijay Kelkar 2019 448 pages
4.23
379 ratings
Fly Girls
by Keith O'Brien • 2018
The men banned them from racing. Five women flew anyway, and one beat them all.
3.92
9k+
Fly Girls Summary
Fly Girls
The men banned them from racing. Five women flew anyway, and one beat them all.
by Keith O'Brien 2018 352 pages
3.92
9k+ ratings
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