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SoBrief
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The Closing of the American Mind
by Allan Bloom • 1988
A dogma that all truths are equal has hollowed the American mind, starting on campus.
3.76
6k+
The Closing of the American Mind Summary
The Closing of the American Mind 92%
A dogma that all truths are equal has hollowed the American mind, starting on campus.
by Allan Bloom 1988
3.76
6k+ ratings
How to Read and Why
by Harold Bloom • 2000
Read selfishly, chase pleasure, and recover the irony that academic jargon banished.
3.61
4k+
How to Read and Why Summary
How to Read and Why 90%
Read selfishly, chase pleasure, and recover the irony that academic jargon banished.
by Harold Bloom 2000
3.61
4k+ ratings
The Iliad / The Odyssey
by Homer
We know nothing of Homer. So his epics became a mirror every civilization fills with itself.
4.07
84k+
The Iliad / The Odyssey Summary
The Iliad / The Odyssey 90%
We know nothing of Homer. So his epics became a mirror every civilization fills with itself.
by Homer
4.07
84k+ ratings
The Anatomy of Influence
by Harold Bloom • 2011
Literary influence is love with its guard up, and Shakespeare is still winning.
3.93
477
The Anatomy of Influence Summary
The Anatomy of Influence 90%
Literary influence is love with its guard up, and Shakespeare is still winning.
by Harold Bloom 2011
3.93
477 ratings
Ideas Have Consequences
by Richard M. Weaver • 1948
A 14th-century philosophical error unraveled the West. Fixing it demands harder medicine.
4.13
2k+
Ideas Have Consequences Summary
Ideas Have Consequences 90%
A 14th-century philosophical error unraveled the West. Fixing it demands harder medicine.
by Richard M. Weaver 1948
4.13
2k+ ratings
A Little History of Literature
by John Sutherland • 2013
Myths, money, and modernism: how literature got from campfire tales to your e-reader.
3.82
2k+
A Little History of Literature Summary
A Little History of Literature 89%
Myths, money, and modernism: how literature got from campfire tales to your e-reader.
by John Sutherland 2013
3.82
2k+ ratings
The War on the West
by Douglas Murray • 2022
The West is waging a cultural war on itself. No other civilization joins in.
4.26
10k+
The War on the West Summary
The War on the West 89%
The West is waging a cultural war on itself. No other civilization joins in.
by Douglas Murray 2022
4.26
10k+ ratings
Preface to Shakespeare
by Samuel Johnson • 1778
Why Shakespeare's greatness survives his flaws: Samuel Johnson's landmark verdict from 1778.
3.62
376
Preface to Shakespeare Summary
Preface to Shakespeare 89%
Why Shakespeare's greatness survives his flaws: Samuel Johnson's landmark verdict from 1778.
by Samuel Johnson 1778
3.62
376 ratings
How to Save the West
by Spencer Klavan • 2023
The West's unraveling isn't political. It's philosophical, and the remedy is older than the problem.
4.27
468
How to Save the West Summary
How to Save the West 89%
The West's unraveling isn't political. It's philosophical, and the remedy is older than the problem.
by Spencer Klavan 2023
4.27
468 ratings
Spoilt Rotten
by dalrymple-theodore • 2010
Sentiment now governs law, schools, and foreign aid. The cruelty that follows is no accident.
3.96
1k+
Spoilt Rotten Summary
Spoilt Rotten 89%
Sentiment now governs law, schools, and foreign aid. The cruelty that follows is no accident.
by dalrymple-theodore 2010
3.96
1k+ ratings
The Greatest Minds and Ideas of All Time
by Will Durant • 2002
Genius, not economics, is the engine of history: a tour of the minds that built civilization.
3.72
3k+
The Greatest Minds and Ideas of All Time Summary
The Greatest Minds and Ideas of All Time 89%
Genius, not economics, is the engine of history: a tour of the minds that built civilization.
by Will Durant 2002
3.72
3k+ ratings
Shakespeare's Freedom
by Stephen Greenblatt • 2010
Shakespeare dreamed of absolute freedom; his entire career became a record of its limits.
3.83
175
Shakespeare's Freedom Summary
Shakespeare's Freedom 89%
Shakespeare dreamed of absolute freedom; his entire career became a record of its limits.
by Stephen Greenblatt 2010
3.83
175 ratings
The Right Side of History
by Ben Shapiro • 2019
Greek reason plus biblical purpose built the modern West. Both are now in retreat.
3.86
9k+
The Right Side of History Summary
The Right Side of History 89%
Greek reason plus biblical purpose built the modern West. Both are now in retreat.
by Ben Shapiro 2019
3.86
9k+ ratings
Lezioni di letteratura russa. Gogol', Turgenev, Dostoevskij, Tolstoj, Čechov e Gor'kij nelle lezioni di un grande maestro
by Vladimir Nabokov • 1981
Nabokov on Russian masters: art alone matters, not message. Dostoevsky fails, Gogol soars.
4.26
2k+
Lezioni di letteratura russa. Gogol', Turgenev, Dostoevskij, Tolstoj, Čechov e Gor'kij nelle lezioni di un grande maestro Summary
Lezioni di letteratura russa. Gogol', Turgenev, Dostoevskij, Tolstoj, Čechov e Gor'kij nelle lezioni di un grande maestro 89%
Nabokov on Russian masters: art alone matters, not message. Dostoevsky fails, Gogol soars.
by Vladimir Nabokov 1981
4.26
2k+ ratings
The Great Conversation
by Mortimer J. Adler • 1952
What 2,500 years of argument can teach you that a lifetime of schooling never will.
4.17
705
The Great Conversation Summary
The Great Conversation 89%
What 2,500 years of argument can teach you that a lifetime of schooling never will.
by Mortimer J. Adler 1952
4.17
705 ratings
The New Orientalists
by Ian Almond • 2007
Postmodernism attacked Orientalism. Then, from Nietzsche to Žižek, it built a subtler one.
3.41
41
The New Orientalists Summary
The New Orientalists 89%
Postmodernism attacked Orientalism. Then, from Nietzsche to Žižek, it built a subtler one.
by Ian Almond 2007
3.41
41 ratings
The New Vichy Syndrome
by Theodore Dalrymple • 2010
Europeans were never richer or healthier. The rot is in the soul, not the balance sheet.
3.89
238
The New Vichy Syndrome Summary
The New Vichy Syndrome 89%
Europeans were never richer or healthier. The rot is in the soul, not the balance sheet.
by Theodore Dalrymple 2010
3.89
238 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 89%
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
Lions and Scavengers
by Ben Shapiro • 2025
Two spirits fight for America: one builds civilization, the other feeds on its carcass.
4.17
1k+
Lions and Scavengers Summary
Lions and Scavengers 89%
Two spirits fight for America: one builds civilization, the other feeds on its carcass.
by Ben Shapiro 2025
4.17
1k+ ratings
Power, Politics and Culture
by Edward W. Said • 2001
The scholar who revealed how Western learning became a tool of empire, in his own words.
4.26
613
Power, Politics and Culture Summary
Power, Politics and Culture 89%
The scholar who revealed how Western learning became a tool of empire, in his own words.
by Edward W. Said 2001
4.26
613 ratings
Orientalism
by Edward W. Said • 1978
Western knowledge of the East was never innocent: it invented the Orient to justify imperial rule.
4.14
30k+
Orientalism Summary
Orientalism 89%
Western knowledge of the East was never innocent: it invented the Orient to justify imperial rule.
by Edward W. Said 1978
4.14
30k+ ratings
The Well-Educated Mind
by Susan Wise Bauer • 2003
A classical education for play readers: what the best seats in the house still hide.
4.00
4k+
The Well-Educated Mind Summary
The Well-Educated Mind 88%
A classical education for play readers: what the best seats in the house still hide.
by Susan Wise Bauer 2003
4.00
4k+ ratings
The Abolition of Man
by C.S. Lewis • 1943
The final product of denying objective value is not freedom but a humanity ruled by impulse.
4.12
42k+
The Abolition of Man Summary
The Abolition of Man 88%
The final product of denying objective value is not freedom but a humanity ruled by impulse.
by C.S. Lewis 1943
4.12
42k+ ratings
History of English literature
by Edward Albert • 1923
From Beowulf to Eliot: the full sweep of English literature, century by century.
3.90
257
History of English literature Summary
History of English literature 88%
From Beowulf to Eliot: the full sweep of English literature, century by century.
by Edward Albert 1923
3.90
257 ratings
The Deadline
by Jill Lepore • 2023
The dead still run the country. A historian shows how, from the Constitution to the smartphone.
4.31
621
The Deadline Summary
The Deadline 88%
The dead still run the country. A historian shows how, from the Constitution to the smartphone.
by Jill Lepore 2023
4.31
621 ratings
Explaining Postmodernism
by Stephen R.C. Hicks • 2004
When socialism failed, the academic Left didn't abandon the project. It abandoned truth instead.
3.88
2k+
Explaining Postmodernism Summary
Explaining Postmodernism 88%
When socialism failed, the academic Left didn't abandon the project. It abandoned truth instead.
by Stephen R.C. Hicks 2004
3.88
2k+ ratings
The Strength to Dream
by Colin Wilson • 1962
The crisis of modern literature is a failure of imagination, and the cost is human freedom.
3.93
123
The Strength to Dream Summary
The Strength to Dream 88%
The crisis of modern literature is a failure of imagination, and the cost is human freedom.
by Colin Wilson 1962
3.93
123 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 88%
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
Dr. Seuss and Philosophy
by Jacob M. Held • 2011
Philosophy hid on your childhood shelf. Horton on knowledge, the Lorax on ethics, Yertle on power.
4.14
441
Dr. Seuss and Philosophy Summary
Dr. Seuss and Philosophy 88%
Philosophy hid on your childhood shelf. Horton on knowledge, the Lorax on ethics, Yertle on power.
by Jacob M. Held 2011
4.14
441 ratings
50 Politics Classics
by Tom Butler-Bowdon • 2015
Fifty political classics, one digest: the ideas on power and freedom that still shape the world.
3.99
297
50 Politics Classics Summary
50 Politics Classics 88%
Fifty political classics, one digest: the ideas on power and freedom that still shape the world.
by Tom Butler-Bowdon 2015
3.99
297 ratings
Arguably
by Christopher Hitchens • 2011
Tyranny, religion, empire, sentimentality: what remains after clarity and history have their say.
4.20
10k+
Arguably Summary
Arguably 88%
Tyranny, religion, empire, sentimentality: what remains after clarity and history have their say.
by Christopher Hitchens 2011
4.20
10k+ ratings
Interventions 2020
by Michel Houellebecq • 2020
A provocateur on religion's sudden return, America's exit from power, and hell's disappearance.
3.57
579
Interventions 2020 Summary
Interventions 2020 88%
A provocateur on religion's sudden return, America's exit from power, and hell's disappearance.
by Michel Houellebecq 2020
3.57
579 ratings
The Passion of the Western Mind
by Richard Tarnas • 1991
Western thought is a single dramatic story, from ancient archetypes to postmodern doubt.
4.24
2k+
The Passion of the Western Mind Summary
The Passion of the Western Mind 88%
Western thought is a single dramatic story, from ancient archetypes to postmodern doubt.
by Richard Tarnas 1991
4.24
2k+ ratings
Jag är Zlatan
by Zlatan Ibrahimović • 2011
How the West thought: ten ideas from Plato to Rawls that still shape everything we believe.
3.86
19k+
Jag är Zlatan Summary
Jag är Zlatan 88%
How the West thought: ten ideas from Plato to Rawls that still shape everything we believe.
by Zlatan Ibrahimović 2011
3.86
19k+ ratings
The Intellectual Devotional
by David S. Kidder • 2006
What cultured people know: a page-a-day crash course in seven subjects your schooling skipped.
3.94
4k+
The Intellectual Devotional Summary
The Intellectual Devotional 88%
What cultured people know: a page-a-day crash course in seven subjects your schooling skipped.
by David S. Kidder 2006
3.94
4k+ ratings
Why Liberalism Failed
by Patrick J. Deneen • 2018
Liberalism didn't fail despite its successes. Its successes broke it.
3.84
4k+
Why Liberalism Failed Summary
Why Liberalism Failed 88%
Liberalism didn't fail despite its successes. Its successes broke it.
by Patrick J. Deneen 2018
3.84
4k+ ratings
How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read
by Pierre Bayard • 2020
Not reading is a creative strategy, not a failure. A French critic makes the case.
3.44
5k+
How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read Summary
How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read 88%
Not reading is a creative strategy, not a failure. A French critic makes the case.
by Pierre Bayard 2020
3.44
5k+ ratings
In Defense of a Liberal Education
by Fareed Zakaria • 2015
The STEM panic misses the real skills gap: writing, analysis, and learning how to learn.
3.83
3k+
In Defense of a Liberal Education Summary
In Defense of a Liberal Education 88%
The STEM panic misses the real skills gap: writing, analysis, and learning how to learn.
by Fareed Zakaria 2015
3.83
3k+ ratings
History of Beauty
by Umberto Eco • 2004
Beauty was never absolute. Every era invents its own: from sacred light to industrial symmetry.
3.82
68k+
History of Beauty Summary
History of Beauty 88%
Beauty was never absolute. Every era invents its own: from sacred light to industrial symmetry.
by Umberto Eco 2004
3.82
68k+ ratings
More Than Words
by John Warner • 2025
AI can mimic writing; only humans can actually write. The difference is the struggle to think.
4.05
525
More Than Words Summary
More Than Words 88%
AI can mimic writing; only humans can actually write. The difference is the struggle to think.
by John Warner 2025
4.05
525 ratings
A History of India, Vol. 1
by Romila Thapar • 1990
How a 1999 sci-fi film exposed the simulation we were already living in.
3.63
2k+
A History of India, Vol. 1 Summary
A History of India, Vol. 1 88%
How a 1999 sci-fi film exposed the simulation we were already living in.
by Romila Thapar 1990
3.63
2k+ ratings
The Naive and the Sentimental Novelist
by Orhan Pamuk • 2010
Why great novels put you in a trance even as you know every word is invented.
3.95
3k+
The Naive and the Sentimental Novelist Summary
The Naive and the Sentimental Novelist 88%
Why great novels put you in a trance even as you know every word is invented.
by Orhan Pamuk 2010
3.95
3k+ ratings
Rational Choice and Security Studies
by Michael E. Brown • 2000
Two visions of political science: one builds mathematical temples, the other wants to stop war.
3.78
9
Rational Choice and Security Studies Summary
Rational Choice and Security Studies 88%
Two visions of political science: one builds mathematical temples, the other wants to stop war.
by Michael E. Brown 2000
3.78
9 ratings
Race Marxism
by James Lindsay • 2022
Critical race theory is Marxism rebuilt around race, and its goal is not reform but revolution.
4.23
364
Race Marxism Summary
Race Marxism 88%
Critical race theory is Marxism rebuilt around race, and its goal is not reform but revolution.
by James Lindsay 2022
4.23
364 ratings
The Age of American Unreason
by Susan Jacoby • 2008
Suspicion of ideas predates the American republic. The forces feeding it have never been louder.
3.85
3k+
The Age of American Unreason Summary
The Age of American Unreason 88%
Suspicion of ideas predates the American republic. The forces feeding it have never been louder.
by Susan Jacoby 2008
3.85
3k+ ratings
Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five
by Curtis Smith • 2016
A writer unpacks the alien logic and buried grief inside Vonnegut's time-jumping anti-war classic.
4.27
41
Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five Summary
Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five 88%
A writer unpacks the alien logic and buried grief inside Vonnegut's time-jumping anti-war classic.
by Curtis Smith 2016
4.27
41 ratings
The True and Only Heaven
by Christopher Lasch • 1991
Progress is exhausted; the only usable past belongs to those who doubted it.
4.36
382
The True and Only Heaven Summary
The True and Only Heaven 88%
Progress is exhausted; the only usable past belongs to those who doubted it.
by Christopher Lasch 1991
4.36
382 ratings
The Twilight of Common Dreams
by Todd Gitlin • 1995
The Left abandoned class for identity, and the Right took the country. An anatomy of surrender.
3.43
53
The Twilight of Common Dreams Summary
The Twilight of Common Dreams 88%
The Left abandoned class for identity, and the Right took the country. An anatomy of surrender.
by Todd Gitlin 1995
3.43
53 ratings
The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction
by Walter Benjamin • 1936
Why does a perfect copy feel less real? Benjamin's answer upends art and politics.
4.08
25k+
The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction Summary
The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction 88%
Why does a perfect copy feel less real? Benjamin's answer upends art and politics.
by Walter Benjamin 1936
4.08
25k+ ratings
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This
by Omar El Akkad • 2025
The liberal West is counterfeit: rules bend for power, and empathy is a weapon.
4.57
67k+
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This Summary
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This 88%
The liberal West is counterfeit: rules bend for power, and empathy is a weapon.
by Omar El Akkad 2025
4.57
67k+ ratings
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