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The Flamethrowers
by Rachel Kushner • 2013
A motorcyclist turns speed into art, then follows her Italian lover into his family's violent world.
3.51
25k+
The Flamethrowers Summary
The Flamethrowers 92%
A motorcyclist turns speed into art, then follows her Italian lover into his family's violent world.
by Rachel Kushner 2013
3.51
25k+ ratings
Lives of the Artists
by Calvin Tomkins • 2008
When art has no fixed rules, the artist's life becomes the work. Ten portraits.
4.10
586
Lives of the Artists Summary
Lives of the Artists 90%
When art has no fixed rules, the artist's life becomes the work. Ten portraits.
by Calvin Tomkins 2008
4.10
586 ratings
Just Kids
by Patti Smith • 2010
Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe met broke in New York and pledged a lifetime of art.
4.21
362k+
Just Kids Summary
Just Kids 90%
Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe met broke in New York and pledged a lifetime of art.
by Patti Smith 2010
4.21
362k+ ratings
J R
by William Gaddis • 1975
From a payphone, a sixth-grader builds a paper empire that consumes a struggling composer.
4.32
4k+
J R Summary
J R 88%
From a payphone, a sixth-grader builds a paper empire that consumes a struggling composer.
by William Gaddis 1975
4.32
4k+ ratings
Sex and Rage
by Eve Babitz • 2017
In Hollywood parties and New York salons, a surfer chases the person the glamour keeps hiding.
3.55
20k+
Sex and Rage Summary
Sex and Rage 88%
In Hollywood parties and New York salons, a surfer chases the person the glamour keeps hiding.
by Eve Babitz 2017
3.55
20k+ 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 88%
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
Mile Marker Zero
by William McKeen • 2011
1970s Key West: a drug-fueled creative paradise that produced genius, excess, and its own collapse.
3.93
567
Mile Marker Zero Summary
Mile Marker Zero 88%
1970s Key West: a drug-fueled creative paradise that produced genius, excess, and its own collapse.
by William McKeen 2011
3.93
567 ratings
Heatwave
by John L. Williams • 2025
A record-breaking heatwave, a nation on the brink: how the summer of 1976 remade Britain.
3.89
134
Heatwave Summary
Heatwave 88%
A record-breaking heatwave, a nation on the brink: how the summer of 1976 remade Britain.
by John L. Williams 2025
3.89
134 ratings
The Story of Art Without Men
by Katy Hessel • 2022
Art history left out the women. Five centuries of painters and sculptors the canon overlooked.
4.29
5k+
The Story of Art Without Men Summary
The Story of Art Without Men 88%
Art history left out the women. Five centuries of painters and sculptors the canon overlooked.
by Katy Hessel 2022
4.29
5k+ ratings
I Used to Be Charming
by Eve Babitz • 2019
Eve Babitz captured 1960s LA. These late essays show what happened when the charm wore off.
4.13
2k+
I Used to Be Charming Summary
I Used to Be Charming 87%
Eve Babitz captured 1960s LA. These late essays show what happened when the charm wore off.
by Eve Babitz 2019
4.13
2k+ ratings
History of Modern Art
by H. Harvard Arnason • 1968
How a century of painters dismantled perspective, freed color, and rebuilt art from scratch.
4.01
9k+
History of Modern Art Summary
History of Modern Art 87%
How a century of painters dismantled perspective, freed color, and rebuilt art from scratch.
by H. Harvard Arnason 1968
4.01
9k+ 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 87%
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
Cinema Speculation
by Quentin Tarantino • 2022
How a child snuck into adult movies in 1970s Los Angeles and came out a filmmaker.
4.04
15k+
Cinema Speculation Summary
Cinema Speculation 87%
How a child snuck into adult movies in 1970s Los Angeles and came out a filmmaker.
by Quentin Tarantino 2022
4.04
15k+ ratings
Role Models
by John Waters • 2010
Your role models are safe: John Waters learns from criminals, pornographers, and weird artists.
4.07
8k+
Role Models Summary
Role Models 87%
Your role models are safe: John Waters learns from criminals, pornographers, and weird artists.
by John Waters 2010
4.07
8k+ ratings
Provenance
by Laney Salisbury • 2009
A painter forged the art. A con man forged the archives. The art world bought both.
3.93
7k+
Provenance Summary
Provenance 87%
A painter forged the art. A con man forged the archives. The art world bought both.
by Laney Salisbury 2009
3.93
7k+ 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 87%
Art appreciation in 15th-century Italy began with a contract and a barrel-gauging formula.
by Michael Baxandall 1972
3.95
3k+ ratings
The Art of the Con
by Anthony M. Amore • 2015
A master forger fooled the experts for decades. Then they checked the paint.
3.54
1k+
The Art of the Con Summary
The Art of the Con 87%
A master forger fooled the experts for decades. Then they checked the paint.
by Anthony M. Amore 2015
3.54
1k+ ratings
Leonardo and the Last Supper
by Ross King • 2012
Leonardo almost refused the mural. He painted it with a doomed technique. It became immortal anyway.
3.93
3k+
Leonardo and the Last Supper Summary
Leonardo and the Last Supper 87%
Leonardo almost refused the mural. He painted it with a doomed technique. It became immortal anyway.
by Ross King 2012
3.93
3k+ ratings
Anita de Monte Laughs Last
by Xóchitl González • 2024
A Brown student unearths a murdered Cuban artist's work, and awakens her vengeful ghost.
3.78
49k+
Anita de Monte Laughs Last Summary
Anita de Monte Laughs Last 87%
A Brown student unearths a murdered Cuban artist's work, and awakens her vengeful ghost.
by Xóchitl González 2024
3.78
49k+ ratings
The $12 Million Stuffed Shark
by Don Thompson • 2008
The art market runs on branding and insecurity. A $12 million dead shark proves it.
3.87
6k+
The $12 Million Stuffed Shark Summary
The $12 Million Stuffed Shark 87%
The art market runs on branding and insecurity. A $12 million dead shark proves it.
by Don Thompson 2008
3.87
6k+ ratings
There's No Going Back
by David M. Stewart • 2025
Punk rock, Haitian activism, and radical trust: how a Corman pupil built an unlikely Oscar career.
3.76
21
There's No Going Back Summary
There's No Going Back 87%
Punk rock, Haitian activism, and radical trust: how a Corman pupil built an unlikely Oscar career.
by David M. Stewart 2025
3.76
21 ratings
How to Be an Artist
by Jerry Saltz • 2020
A handbook for artists: the work, the network, the rejection, and staying in the game.
3.94
4k+
How to Be an Artist Summary
How to Be an Artist 87%
A handbook for artists: the work, the network, the rejection, and staying in the game.
by Jerry Saltz 2020
3.94
4k+ ratings
Steal This Book
by Abbie Hoffman • 1971
The counterculture manual: how to get everything free and fight the system.
3.60
4k+
Steal This Book Summary
Steal This Book 87%
The counterculture manual: how to get everything free and fight the system.
by Abbie Hoffman 1971
3.60
4k+ ratings
Mary Jane
by Jessica Anya Blau • 2021
A sheltered Baltimore teen spends one summer nannying for a family hiding a famous rock star.
4.12
115k+
Mary Jane Summary
Mary Jane 87%
A sheltered Baltimore teen spends one summer nannying for a family hiding a famous rock star.
by Jessica Anya Blau 2021
4.12
115k+ ratings
The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas
by Gertrude Stein • 1933
Alice Toklas meets Gertrude Stein in 1907 Paris, entering the salon where modern art was born.
3.54
14k+
The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas Summary
The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas 87%
Alice Toklas meets Gertrude Stein in 1907 Paris, entering the salon where modern art was born.
by Gertrude Stein 1933
3.54
14k+ ratings
Her Again
by Michael Schulman • 2016
A producer called her ugly in Italian at her first film audition. She understood every word.
3.62
3k+
Her Again Summary
Her Again 87%
A producer called her ugly in Italian at her first film audition. She understood every word.
by Michael Schulman 2016
3.62
3k+ ratings
Frida
by Hayden Herrera • 1983
Two hundred self-portraits, one body in revolt. Frida Kahlo turned a lifetime of surgeries into art.
4.02
76k+
Frida Summary
Frida 87%
Two hundred self-portraits, one body in revolt. Frida Kahlo turned a lifetime of surgeries into art.
by Hayden Herrera 1983
4.02
76k+ ratings
A Freewheelin' Time
by Suze Rotolo • 2008
The girl on Dylan's Freewheelin' cover reclaims her life from the image that buried it.
3.85
4k+
A Freewheelin' Time Summary
A Freewheelin' Time 87%
The girl on Dylan's Freewheelin' cover reclaims her life from the image that buried it.
by Suze Rotolo 2008
3.85
4k+ ratings
SMiLE
by Domenic Priore • 2005
His band buried his pop symphony. Bootleggers kept it alive. It took 37 years to finally premiere.
3.80
145
SMiLE Summary
SMiLE 87%
His band buried his pop symphony. Bootleggers kept it alive. It took 37 years to finally premiere.
by Domenic Priore 2005
3.80
145 ratings
Sinatra's Century
by David Lehman • 2015
A hundred glimpses of a singer who mapped an American century: mob, movies, music.
3.97
169
Sinatra's Century Summary
Sinatra's Century 87%
A hundred glimpses of a singer who mapped an American century: mob, movies, music.
by David Lehman 2015
3.97
169 ratings
The Rotters' Club
by Jonathan Coe • 2001
Birmingham, 1973: four school friends, their rock band, and the IRA bomb that ends a world.
3.96
16k+
The Rotters' Club Summary
The Rotters' Club 87%
Birmingham, 1973: four school friends, their rock band, and the IRA bomb that ends a world.
by Jonathan Coe 2001
3.96
16k+ ratings
The White Album
by Joan Didion • 1979
A writer, a psychiatric breakdown, and the California essays that defined an unraveling decade.
4.02
51k+
The White Album Summary
The White Album 87%
A writer, a psychiatric breakdown, and the California essays that defined an unraveling decade.
by Joan Didion 1979
4.02
51k+ 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
567
Freak Kingdom Summary
Freak Kingdom 87%
Hunter S. Thompson spent a deadly serious decade trying to stop America's descent into fascism.
by Timothy Denevi 2018
4.26
567 ratings
Cat’s Eye
by Margaret Atwood • 1988
A painter's Toronto return forces a reckoning with the girlhood friend who nearly destroyed her.
3.95
73k+
Cat’s Eye Summary
Cat’s Eye 86%
A painter's Toronto return forces a reckoning with the girlhood friend who nearly destroyed her.
by Margaret Atwood 1988
3.95
73k+ ratings
I'll Never Write My Memoirs
by Grace Jones • 2015
How a girl from a repressive Jamaican church became the mirror-faced androgynous icon of disco.
3.76
2k+
I'll Never Write My Memoirs Summary
I'll Never Write My Memoirs 86%
How a girl from a repressive Jamaican church became the mirror-faced androgynous icon of disco.
by Grace Jones 2015
3.76
2k+ ratings
The Age of Abundance
by Brink Lindsey • 2007
Postwar abundance split America into two rival faiths; their deadlock still defines us.
3.51
134
The Age of Abundance Summary
The Age of Abundance 86%
Postwar abundance split America into two rival faiths; their deadlock still defines us.
by Brink Lindsey 2007
3.51
134 ratings
The Intellectual Devotional
by David S. Kidder
365 readings on the 1960s: the decade that shaped modern America, in five minutes a day.
3.90
687
The Intellectual Devotional Summary
The Intellectual Devotional 86%
365 readings on the 1960s: the decade that shaped modern America, in five minutes a day.
by David S. Kidder
3.90
687 ratings
So Much Blue
by Percival Everett • 2017
A painter's hidden canvas holds the confessions he owes his wife, his daughter, and himself.
4.02
4k+
So Much Blue Summary
So Much Blue 86%
A painter's hidden canvas holds the confessions he owes his wife, his daughter, and himself.
by Percival Everett 2017
4.02
4k+ ratings
Wonderland Avenue
by Danny Sugerman • 1989
Jim Morrison gave him a purpose at 12; drugs gave him a heart infection at 21.
4.25
3k+
Wonderland Avenue Summary
Wonderland Avenue 86%
Jim Morrison gave him a purpose at 12; drugs gave him a heart infection at 21.
by Danny Sugerman 1989
4.25
3k+ ratings
L.A. Women
by Ella Berman • 2025
A novelist mines her best friend's life for fiction in Laurel Canyon. Then the friend vanishes.
3.47
3k+
L.A. Women Summary
L.A. Women 86%
A novelist mines her best friend's life for fiction in Laurel Canyon. Then the friend vanishes.
by Ella Berman 2025
3.47
3k+ ratings
The Man in the High Castle
by Mike Avila • 2019
A decade-long battle to adapt a cult novel, and the designers who built its fascist America.
4.00
13
The Man in the High Castle Summary
The Man in the High Castle 86%
A decade-long battle to adapt a cult novel, and the designers who built its fascist America.
by Mike Avila 2019
4.00
13 ratings
Art and Fear
by David Bayles • 1994
Art is a skill, not a gift. The only secret to sustaining it: knowing how not to quit.
3.77
105k+
Art and Fear Summary
Art and Fear 86%
Art is a skill, not a gift. The only secret to sustaining it: knowing how not to quit.
by David Bayles 1994
3.77
105k+ ratings
Letters on Cézanne
by Rainer Maria Rilke • 1907
One poet's letters on Cézanne: how seeing becomes the artist's hardest and most honest work.
4.16
957
Letters on Cézanne Summary
Letters on Cézanne 86%
One poet's letters on Cézanne: how seeing becomes the artist's hardest and most honest work.
by Rainer Maria Rilke 1907
4.16
957 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 86%
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
Monsters
by Claire Dederer • 2023
Our favorite art was made by awful people. A critic's personal, unresolved struggle with that fact.
3.68
23k+
Monsters Summary
Monsters 86%
Our favorite art was made by awful people. A critic's personal, unresolved struggle with that fact.
by Claire Dederer 2023
3.68
23k+ ratings
Philosophy of Art
by Noël Carroll • 1999
Art defies every definition. A tour through the best philosophical attempts, and what survives.
3.88
204
Philosophy of Art Summary
Philosophy of Art 86%
Art defies every definition. A tour through the best philosophical attempts, and what survives.
by Noël Carroll 1999
3.88
204 ratings
David Bowie
by Dylan Jones • 2017
An oral history of David Bowie, built from 180 voices who watched the transformations up close.
4.04
2k+
David Bowie Summary
David Bowie 86%
An oral history of David Bowie, built from 180 voices who watched the transformations up close.
by Dylan Jones 2017
4.04
2k+ ratings
Making Movies
by Sidney Lumet • 1995
How a director keeps a movie from dying the death of a thousand compromises.
4.29
10k+
Making Movies Summary
Making Movies 86%
How a director keeps a movie from dying the death of a thousand compromises.
by Sidney Lumet 1995
4.29
10k+ ratings
Speedboat
by Renata Adler • 1976
A reporter drifts through parties, lovers, and city chaos, searching for whatever might hold weight.
3.75
8k+
Speedboat Summary
Speedboat 86%
A reporter drifts through parties, lovers, and city chaos, searching for whatever might hold weight.
by Renata Adler 1976
3.75
8k+ ratings
Hammer of the Gods
by Stephen Davis • 1985
A groupie, a fish, and a hotel room: the incident that defined Led Zeppelin's dark legend.
3.86
14k+
Hammer of the Gods Summary
Hammer of the Gods 86%
A groupie, a fish, and a hotel room: the incident that defined Led Zeppelin's dark legend.
by Stephen Davis 1985
3.86
14k+ ratings
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