Start free trial
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...
Language City
by Ross Perlin • 2024
Seven hundred languages pack New York City. Most are on the verge of silence.
4.20
919
Language City Summary
Language City 90%
Seven hundred languages pack New York City. Most are on the verge of silence.
by Ross Perlin 2024
4.20
919 ratings
You Are What You Speak
by Robert Lane Greene • 2011
Grammar rules are recent inventions, language decline is a myth, and purism is identity politics.
3.86
682
You Are What You Speak Summary
You Are What You Speak 88%
Grammar rules are recent inventions, language decline is a myth, and purism is identity politics.
by Robert Lane Greene 2011
3.86
682 ratings
The Loom of Language
by Frederick Bodmer • 1943
Languages are not taught. They are inherited. The family tree unlocks what phrasebooks never will.
4.16
398
The Loom of Language Summary
The Loom of Language 87%
Languages are not taught. They are inherited. The family tree unlocks what phrasebooks never will.
by Frederick Bodmer 1943
4.16
398 ratings
Empires of the Word
by Nicholas Ostler • 2005
Akkadian vanished; Chinese didn't. Why some languages endure and others die, across 4,500 years.
4.06
3k+
Empires of the Word Summary
Empires of the Word 87%
Akkadian vanished; Chinese didn't. Why some languages endure and others die, across 4,500 years.
by Nicholas Ostler 2005
4.06
3k+ ratings
La sociolinguistique
by Louis-Jean Calvet • 1993
Language stripped of society is a fiction. Every accent, loanword, and policy proves it.
3.94
66
La sociolinguistique Summary
La sociolinguistique 87%
Language stripped of society is a fiction. Every accent, loanword, and policy proves it.
by Louis-Jean Calvet 1993
3.94
66 ratings
Dreaming in Hindi
by Katherine Russell Rich • 2009
After cancer, she went to India. Learning Hindi broke her brain open and rebuilt it.
3.12
1k+
Dreaming in Hindi Summary
Dreaming in Hindi 87%
After cancer, she went to India. Learning Hindi broke her brain open and rebuilt it.
by Katherine Russell Rich 2009
3.12
1k+ ratings
The Translator's Invisibility
by Lawrence Venuti • 1994
The smoother a translation reads, the more it erases the foreign culture and the translator's labor.
3.79
272
The Translator's Invisibility Summary
The Translator's Invisibility 87%
The smoother a translation reads, the more it erases the foreign culture and the translator's labor.
by Lawrence Venuti 1994
3.79
272 ratings
Studies in Words (Canto)
by C.S. Lewis • 1939
Why you misread old books: words like 'nature' and 'conscience' once meant something else entirely.
4.19
516
Studies in Words (Canto) Summary
Studies in Words (Canto) 87%
Why you misread old books: words like 'nature' and 'conscience' once meant something else entirely.
by C.S. Lewis 1939
4.19
516 ratings
Like, Literally, Dude
by Valerie Fridland • 2023
Vocal fry, um, and literally: the science that turns every grammar pet peeve into a feature.
3.85
925
Like, Literally, Dude Summary
Like, Literally, Dude 86%
Vocal fry, um, and literally: the science that turns every grammar pet peeve into a feature.
by Valerie Fridland 2023
3.85
925 ratings
A Brief History of the Spanish Language
by David A. Pharies • 2007
Why you say 'puerta' not 'porta': the hidden rules that shaped Spanish over two millennia.
3.87
156
A Brief History of the Spanish Language Summary
A Brief History of the Spanish Language 86%
Why you say 'puerta' not 'porta': the hidden rules that shaped Spanish over two millennia.
by David A. Pharies 2007
3.87
156 ratings
Mother Tongue
by Christine Gilbert • 2016
A family's two-year quest to learn Mandarin, Arabic, and Spanish abroad. But her toddler objected.
3.72
449
Mother Tongue Summary
Mother Tongue 86%
A family's two-year quest to learn Mandarin, Arabic, and Spanish abroad. But her toddler objected.
by Christine Gilbert 2016
3.72
449 ratings
Outwitting History
by Aaron Lansky • 2004
A million Yiddish books were vanishing into dumpsters. One 24-year-old decided to save them all.
4.25
2k+
Outwitting History Summary
Outwitting History 86%
A million Yiddish books were vanishing into dumpsters. One 24-year-old decided to save them all.
by Aaron Lansky 2004
4.25
2k+ ratings
A World Without "Whom"
by Emmy J. Favilla • 2017
The internet changed English. Here is the style guide that keeps up.
3.72
491
A World Without "Whom" Summary
A World Without "Whom" 86%
The internet changed English. Here is the style guide that keeps up.
by Emmy J. Favilla 2017
3.72
491 ratings
The Language Game
by Morten H. Christiansen • 2022
Language isn't a fixed code; it's a second-by-second improvisation that built human culture.
4.02
462
The Language Game Summary
The Language Game 86%
Language isn't a fixed code; it's a second-by-second improvisation that built human culture.
by Morten H. Christiansen 2022
4.02
462 ratings
Custodians of Wonder
by Eliot Stein • 2024
Firsts get statues. Lasts get silence. A search for the final keepers of ancient traditions.
4.19
3k+
Custodians of Wonder Summary
Custodians of Wonder 86%
Firsts get statues. Lasts get silence. A search for the final keepers of ancient traditions.
by Eliot Stein 2024
4.19
3k+ ratings
Words on the Move
by John McWhorter • 2016
Writing froze the language in your head; speech has been moving the whole time.
4.14
2k+
Words on the Move Summary
Words on the Move 86%
Writing froze the language in your head; speech has been moving the whole time.
by John McWhorter 2016
4.14
2k+ ratings
Parenting with an Accent
by Masha Rumer • 2021
Parenting advice assumes a shared culture. Immigrant families must invent their own playbook.
4.21
129
Parenting with an Accent Summary
Parenting with an Accent 86%
Parenting advice assumes a shared culture. Immigrant families must invent their own playbook.
by Masha Rumer 2021
4.21
129 ratings
Algospeak
by Adam Aleksic • 2025
Censorship algorithms didn't kill language online. They made it weirder, faster, more creative.
3.70
5k+
Algospeak Summary
Algospeak 86%
Censorship algorithms didn't kill language online. They made it weirder, faster, more creative.
by Adam Aleksic 2025
3.70
5k+ ratings
Babel No More
by Michael Erard • 2012
Legendary language learners aren't geniuses. They're obsessive collectors with shallow skills.
3.54
1k+
Babel No More Summary
Babel No More 86%
Legendary language learners aren't geniuses. They're obsessive collectors with shallow skills.
by Michael Erard 2012
3.54
1k+ ratings
The Power of Language
by Viorica Marian • 2023
Language doesn't just describe your world. It builds it. A second language builds a second you.
4.06
1k+
The Power of Language Summary
The Power of Language 86%
Language doesn't just describe your world. It builds it. A second language builds a second you.
by Viorica Marian 2023
4.06
1k+ ratings
That's Not English
by Erin Moore • 2015
British reserve and American enthusiasm hide in words that both countries assume they share.
3.67
858
That's Not English Summary
That's Not English 86%
British reserve and American enthusiasm hide in words that both countries assume they share.
by Erin Moore 2015
3.67
858 ratings
El pequeño libro del lenguaje
by David Crystal • 2012
Grammar runs without a rulebook. Your accent is your signature. And every language remakes itself.
3.75
2k+
El pequeño libro del lenguaje Summary
El pequeño libro del lenguaje 86%
Grammar runs without a rulebook. Your accent is your signature. And every language remakes itself.
by David Crystal 2012
3.75
2k+ ratings
Introduction to Psycholinguistics
by Danny D. Steinberg • 1995
How children acquire language, why adults struggle with a second, and what feral children teach us.
3.96
107
Introduction to Psycholinguistics Summary
Introduction to Psycholinguistics 86%
How children acquire language, why adults struggle with a second, and what feral children teach us.
by Danny D. Steinberg 1995
3.96
107 ratings
The Secret Life of Words
by Anne Curzan • 2012
English stole a million words, hid their origins, and keeps changing the rules.
4.37
505
The Secret Life of Words Summary
The Secret Life of Words 86%
English stole a million words, hid their origins, and keeps changing the rules.
by Anne Curzan 2012
4.37
505 ratings
My Broken Language
by Quiara Alegría Hudes • 2021
A professor said her Spanish was broken. Write it that way. A playwright found her voice.
4.18
4k+
My Broken Language Summary
My Broken Language 86%
A professor said her Spanish was broken. Write it that way. A playwright found her voice.
by Quiara Alegría Hudes 2021
4.18
4k+ ratings
Dreaming in Chinese
by Deborah Fallows • 2010
Tones, compounds, missing pronouns: how Mandarin encodes a worldview no guidebook can offer.
3.63
2k+
Dreaming in Chinese Summary
Dreaming in Chinese 86%
Tones, compounds, missing pronouns: how Mandarin encodes a worldview no guidebook can offer.
by Deborah Fallows 2010
3.63
2k+ ratings
The Mother Tongue
by Bill Bryson • 1990
Why English spelling is a mess, dialects baffle, and a Germanic tongue now rules the world.
3.91
44k+
The Mother Tongue Summary
The Mother Tongue 86%
Why English spelling is a mess, dialects baffle, and a Germanic tongue now rules the world.
by Bill Bryson 1990
3.91
44k+ ratings
Through the Language Glass
by Guy Deutscher • 2010
Language doesn't trap thought; it trains it. What you must say daily rewires what you see.
3.91
8k+
Through the Language Glass Summary
Through the Language Glass 86%
Language doesn't trap thought; it trains it. What you must say daily rewires what you see.
by Guy Deutscher 2010
3.91
8k+ ratings
Because Internet
by Gretchen McCulloch • 2019
Why a period feels angry and emoji work like gestures: the hidden grammar of internet English.
4.04
13k+
Because Internet Summary
Because Internet 86%
Why a period feels angry and emoji work like gestures: the hidden grammar of internet English.
by Gretchen McCulloch 2019
4.04
13k+ ratings
Red Paint
by Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe • 2022
Medicine failed her. She drove to the Skagit River and let ancestral waters do the healing.
4.12
3k+
Red Paint Summary
Red Paint 86%
Medicine failed her. She drove to the Skagit River and let ancestral waters do the healing.
by Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe 2022
4.12
3k+ ratings
The Myth of Mars and Venus
by Deborah Cameron • 2007
Verbal ability overlaps 99.75% between sexes. The gender-communication industry is built on noise.
4.03
482
The Myth of Mars and Venus Summary
The Myth of Mars and Venus 85%
Verbal ability overlaps 99.75% between sexes. The gender-communication industry is built on noise.
by Deborah Cameron 2007
4.03
482 ratings
Language Hacking Guide
by Benny Lewis • 2010
Stop waiting until you're ready. Speak a new language today, and let the grammar catch up.
3.64
163
Language Hacking Guide Summary
Language Hacking Guide 85%
Stop waiting until you're ready. Speak a new language today, and let the grammar catch up.
by Benny Lewis 2010
3.64
163 ratings
The Language Puzzle
by Steven Mithen • 2024
Language's origin: a six-million-year puzzle pieced from genes, tools, and ape gestures.
3.89
487
The Language Puzzle Summary
The Language Puzzle 85%
Language's origin: a six-million-year puzzle pieced from genes, tools, and ape gestures.
by Steven Mithen 2024
3.89
487 ratings
The Unfolding of Language
by Guy Deutscher • 2005
Language has no inventor. Its intricate architecture is the product of decay, not deliberate design.
4.22
4k+
The Unfolding of Language Summary
The Unfolding of Language 85%
Language has no inventor. Its intricate architecture is the product of decay, not deliberate design.
by Guy Deutscher 2005
4.22
4k+ ratings
The Language Instinct
by Steven Pinker • 1994
Children don't learn language; they reinvent it, driven by grammar etched into the brain.
4.01
23k+
The Language Instinct Summary
The Language Instinct 85%
Children don't learn language; they reinvent it, driven by grammar etched into the brain.
by Steven Pinker 1994
4.01
23k+ ratings
Lingüistica Para Todos / Introducing Linguistics
by R.L. Trask • 1996
From baby babbling to brain damage, a scientific tour of the system that makes us human.
3.90
991
Lingüistica Para Todos / Introducing Linguistics Summary
Lingüistica Para Todos / Introducing Linguistics 85%
From baby babbling to brain damage, a scientific tour of the system that makes us human.
by R.L. Trask 1996
3.90
991 ratings
Fluent in 3 Months
by Benny Lewis • 2014
Skip the classroom: why broken sentences now beat years of silent preparation.
3.66
6k+
Fluent in 3 Months Summary
Fluent in 3 Months 85%
Skip the classroom: why broken sentences now beat years of silent preparation.
by Benny Lewis 2014
3.66
6k+ ratings
Rebel with a Clause
by Ellen Jovin • 2022
She toured fifty states with a grammar table. The confessions were stranger than the questions.
4.00
1k+
Rebel with a Clause Summary
Rebel with a Clause 85%
She toured fifty states with a grammar table. The confessions were stranger than the questions.
by Ellen Jovin 2022
4.00
1k+ ratings
Dictionary of American Slang
by Robert L. Chapman • 1998
Slang is a psychological shield, a substitute for the fist, and language at its most honest.
3.91
43
Dictionary of American Slang Summary
Dictionary of American Slang 85%
Slang is a psychological shield, a substitute for the fist, and language at its most honest.
by Robert L. Chapman 1998
3.91
43 ratings
The Third Ear
by Chris Lonsdale • 2006
The trick to fluency isn't a better textbook; it's learning to hear what words can't say.
3.76
139
The Third Ear Summary
The Third Ear 85%
The trick to fluency isn't a better textbook; it's learning to hear what words can't say.
by Chris Lonsdale 2006
3.76
139 ratings
Raising a Bilingual Child
by Barbara Zurer Pearson • 2008
The exposure minimum that predicts bilingual fluency, and the family strategies to get there.
3.84
360
Raising a Bilingual Child Summary
Raising a Bilingual Child 85%
The exposure minimum that predicts bilingual fluency, and the family strategies to get there.
by Barbara Zurer Pearson 2008
3.84
360 ratings
How to Learn a Foreign Language
by Graham E. Fuller • 1987
Train your mouth for new sounds, hunt grammar as patterns, and turn everyday life into immersion.
3.45
128
How to Learn a Foreign Language Summary
How to Learn a Foreign Language 85%
Train your mouth for new sounds, hunt grammar as patterns, and turn everyday life into immersion.
by Graham E. Fuller 1987
3.45
128 ratings
Semicolon
by Cecelia Watson • 2019
How a semicolon started a grammar war: the rules we invented, the people they hurt.
3.68
2k+
Semicolon Summary
Semicolon 85%
How a semicolon started a grammar war: the rules we invented, the people they hurt.
by Cecelia Watson 2019
3.68
2k+ ratings
The Spell of the Sensuous
by David Abram • 1996
The alphabet didn't just capture speech. It taught us the natural world had nothing to say.
4.17
5k+
The Spell of the Sensuous Summary
The Spell of the Sensuous 85%
The alphabet didn't just capture speech. It taught us the natural world had nothing to say.
by David Abram 1996
4.17
5k+ ratings
The Linguist
by Steve Kaufmann • 2003
The method that builds fluency through audio, reading, and self-guided practice, not grammar drills.
3.47
200
The Linguist Summary
The Linguist 85%
The method that builds fluency through audio, reading, and self-guided practice, not grammar drills.
by Steve Kaufmann 2003
3.47
200 ratings
La hija de la española
by Karina Sainz Borgo • 2019
After burying her mother in lawless Caracas, a woman steals a dead neighbor's identity to escape.
3.72
9k+
La hija de la española Summary
La hija de la española 85%
After burying her mother in lawless Caracas, a woman steals a dead neighbor's identity to escape.
by Karina Sainz Borgo 2019
3.72
9k+ ratings
In the Country of Last Things. by Paul Auster
by Paul Auster • 1987
Anna searches a nameless, crumbling city for her brother while hunger and forgetting consume all.
3.91
16k+
In the Country of Last Things. by Paul Auster Summary
In the Country of Last Things. by Paul Auster 85%
Anna searches a nameless, crumbling city for her brother while hunger and forgetting consume all.
by Paul Auster 1987
3.91
16k+ ratings
Moon of the Turning Leaves
by Waubgeshig Rice • 2023
Six Anishinaabe scouts journey through a dead America toward the homeland their people once lost.
4.22
11k+
Moon of the Turning Leaves Summary
Moon of the Turning Leaves 85%
Six Anishinaabe scouts journey through a dead America toward the homeland their people once lost.
by Waubgeshig Rice 2023
4.22
11k+ ratings
The Seep
by Chana Porter • 2020
When her wife chooses rebirth, Trina defies an alien paradise that has banned sorrow.
3.63
10k+
The Seep Summary
The Seep 85%
When her wife chooses rebirth, Trina defies an alien paradise that has banned sorrow.
by Chana Porter 2020
3.63
10k+ ratings
Big Chief
by Jon Hickey • 2025
Half Anishinaabe, half white, a rez lawyer rigs elections, waiting for a home that never comes.
3.58
2k+
Big Chief Summary
Big Chief 85%
Half Anishinaabe, half white, a rez lawyer rigs elections, waiting for a home that never comes.
by Jon Hickey 2025
3.58
2k+ 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 Jul 25,
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