What Is The BEST BOOK SUMMARY App?

Faculty of Apps
6 Mar 202205:11

TLDRThis video explores various book summary apps, highlighting Blinkist as the top choice with over 5,000 non-fiction books summarized in 15 minutes. Blinkist offers free daily summaries and discounts, while competitors like Cuba, Reading Graphics, Snackable Ideas, Cliff Notes, and Flashbooks provide unique features like mini-courses, infographics, author interviews, and actionable advice. The video suggests waiting for Blinkist deals and trying alternatives for different learning styles and interests.

Takeaways

  • 😀 Blinkist is considered the best book summary app with a catalog of around 5,000 non-fiction books.
  • 📚 Blinkist offers summaries that can be read or listened to in approximately 15 minutes each.
  • 🎙️ Blinkist has introduced 'shortcasts', a podcast format discussing key ideas from books, and full-length audio books.
  • 💰 Blinkist operates on a subscription model but provides one free book summary daily and offers discounts throughout the year.
  • 🔍 Alternatives to Blinkist include Shortform, Get Abstract, StoryShots, In-Story, 12-Minute Books, Summarizer, and Bookie.
  • 📚 Cuba offers a unique approach by combining book summaries into mini courses on similar themes with quizzes to test knowledge.
  • 📈 Cuba's mini courses are designed to provide a more structured learning experience than random book summaries.
  • 📊 Reading Graphics presents book summaries as infographics, combining visual learning with audio and PDF summaries.
  • 📹 Snackable Ideas is a YouTube channel that provides animated video descriptions and interviews with authors to extract key concepts.
  • 📚 Cliff Notes is primarily a teaching aid with detailed summaries of fictional books, often found on school curricula.
  • 🔑 Flashbooks focuses on actionable advice from business and personal development books, presented in a simple and straightforward manner.

Q & A

  • What is the main topic discussed in the video script?

    -The main topic discussed in the video script is the best book summary apps available, focusing on Blinkist and its alternatives.

  • How many non-fiction books does Blinkist's catalogue consist of, according to the script?

    -Blinkist's catalogue consists of roughly 5,000 non-fiction books.

  • What new features has Blinkist introduced recently?

    -Blinkist has introduced shortcasts, which are discussions of key ideas from a book in a podcast format, and full-length audio books.

  • What is Blinkist's pricing model?

    -Blinkist operates on a subscription-based model but also offers one free book summary each day.

  • What advice does the speaker give regarding signing up for Blinkist?

    -The speaker recommends signing up for free and then waiting for an offer rather than signing up at full price.

  • What is unique about Kubera's approach to book summaries?

    -Kubera differs from other apps by combining books on a similar theme into mini courses with quizzes to test what you've learned.

  • How much does Kubera cost after the seven-day free trial?

    -After the seven-day free trial, Kubera costs $70 annually or $8 monthly.

  • What is Reading Graphics and how does it differ from other book summary apps?

    -Reading Graphics is a book summary app that provides summaries as infographics, combined with a PDF and an audio summary, to cater to those who understand concepts through visualization.

  • What are the downsides of Reading Graphics mentioned in the script?

    -The downsides of Reading Graphics are that it's accessed through a website, not an app, and it's quite expensive at $20 a month or $170 a year.

  • What is Snackable Ideas and how does it provide book summaries?

    -Snackable Ideas is a YouTube channel that started by providing animated video descriptions of books and has since pivoted to interviewing authors and creating shorter videos highlighting key concepts.

  • What is Cliff Notes and what type of book summaries does it offer?

    -Cliff Notes is primarily a teaching aid for high school and university students, offering detailed summaries of fictional books from well-known authors, often found on school curricula.

  • What is Flashbooks and what makes its approach to book summaries unique?

    -Flashbooks is a book summary site that focuses on actionable advice that can be implemented into daily life, with summaries crafted by Dean Bihari and accompanied by audio narration.

  • How much does Flashbooks cost and what is its pricing structure?

    -Flashbooks costs $29 per month or $300 per year, with a lifetime subscription option for $997.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Book Summary Apps and Services Overview

This paragraph introduces various book summary apps and services, highlighting Blinkist as a leading platform with a catalog of approximately 5,000 non-fiction books. Blinkist allows users to read or listen to summaries in about 15 minutes, with the addition of shortcasts and full-length audio books. It operates on a subscription model with daily free summaries and offers discounts. The paragraph also mentions alternatives like Get Abstract, StoryShots, In-Story, 12-Minute Books, Summarizer, and Bookie, each providing similar features. The focus then shifts to apps offering unique approaches, starting with Cuba, which combines book summaries into mini courses with quizzes, enhancing learning through curated content. Cuba offers features like searchability, audio narration, and offline access, with a 7-day free trial followed by a subscription. Reading Graphics is introduced as a service providing infographic summaries combined with PDFs and audio, though it's web-based and more expensive. Snackable Ideas, a YouTube channel, is recommended for visual learners, offering animated book descriptions and author interviews. Cliff Notes is described as a teaching aid with detailed summaries of fictional books, quizzes, and a web-based platform. Lastly, Flashbooks is highlighted for its focus on actionable advice in business and personal development, with straightforward summaries and audio narration, but noted for its lack of an app and higher cost.

05:00

👋 Closing Remarks and Call to Action

The second paragraph serves as a conclusion to the video, with the speaker, Anthony, expressing gratitude for watching and encouraging viewers to like the video and subscribe for more content. He signs off with a thank you, creating a friendly and engaging closing to the presentation.

Mindmap

Keywords

Book Summary Apps

Book summary apps are digital platforms that provide condensed versions of full-length books, typically focusing on non-fiction titles. They are designed to save time for readers by delivering the key insights and main ideas in a shorter format, often within 15 minutes or less. In the context of the video, these apps are central to the discussion as the speaker evaluates different services that offer book summaries.

Blinkist

Blinkist is a subscription-based book summary app that offers access to a catalog of approximately 5,000 non-fiction books. It is highlighted in the video as one of the best in its category due to its extensive library and the addition of features like shortcasts and full-length audio books. Blinkist is presented as a popular choice for users looking to quickly grasp the essence of various books.

Shortcasts

Shortcasts are a feature within Blinkist that present key ideas from books in a podcast format. They represent an innovative way to consume book summaries by combining the convenience of audio content with the depth of book insights, as mentioned in the video script.

Subscription Model

A subscription model is a business approach where users pay a recurring fee to access a service or product. Blinkist operates on this model, offering daily free book summaries as a teaser, with the option to subscribe for full access. The video emphasizes the cost-effectiveness of waiting for discounts before subscribing to Blinkist.

Alternatives

The term 'alternatives' in the video refers to other book summary services that compete with Blinkist. These include Shortform, Get Abstract, StoryShots, In-Story, and 12-Minute Books. The video discusses these alternatives to provide viewers with options based on their preferences for price, features, and content.

Kubera

Kubera is a book summary app that differentiates itself by offering book summaries organized into mini courses on specific themes. For instance, it provides a course on entrepreneurship that includes summaries of four books, each followed by a quiz. This approach is designed to enhance learning by connecting summaries in a thematic and educational manner.

Reading Graphics

Reading Graphics is a platform that offers book summaries in the form of infographics, which are visual representations of information. This method caters to individuals who prefer to understand concepts through visualization. The video mentions Reading Graphics as an alternative that provides a unique approach to summarizing books.

Snackable Ideas

Snackable Ideas is a YouTube channel that initially provided animated video descriptions of books but has evolved to include interviews with authors and shorter videos that distill key concepts. It is highlighted in the video as a free resource for those interested in book summaries and learning from authors directly.

Cliff Notes

Cliff Notes is traditionally known as a study aid for students, offering detailed summaries and study guides for literature and various academic subjects. The video mentions Cliff Notes as a source for book summaries, particularly for fictional books that are often part of educational curricula.

Flashbooks

Flashbooks is a book summary site that focuses on providing actionable advice from books that users can immediately apply to their lives. It is praised in the video for its straightforward summaries and actionable items, which are presented in a simple format that is easy to digest and implement.

Actionable Advice

Actionable advice refers to practical guidance or recommendations that can be directly acted upon. In the context of the video, Flashbooks is commended for offering summaries that distill books down to their fundamental points, providing readers with clear and applicable insights.

Highlights

Blinkist is considered the best book summary app with a catalog of roughly 5,000 non-fiction books.

Blinkist offers summaries that can be read or listened to in about 15 minutes each.

Blinkist has introduced shortcasts, a podcast format discussing key ideas from books.

They also offer full-length audio books in addition to their summaries.

Blinkist operates on a subscription basis but provides one free book summary daily.

Massive discounts are offered by Blinkist throughout the year.

Alternatives to Blinkist include Shortform, Get Abstract, StoryShots, In-Story, 12-Minute Books, Summarizer, and Bookie.

Cuba offers book summaries combined into mini courses on similar themes.

Cuba's mini courses include quizzes to test knowledge after each summary.

Kubota provides features like searchability, audio narration, and offline access.

Kubota costs $70 annually or $8 monthly, with a 7-day free trial.

Reading Graphics offers book summaries as infographics to aid understanding.

Reading Graphics combines infographics with PDFs and audio summaries.

Reading Graphics is accessed through their website and is quite expensive.

Snackable Ideas is a YouTube channel that provides animated book descriptions and author interviews.

Cliff Notes is a web-based teaching aid with detailed book summaries, often used for school curriculum.

Flashbooks focuses on actionable advice from business and personal development books.

Flashbooks summaries are straightforward with actionable items and cost $29 per month or $300 per year.

Flashbooks does not have an app and is more expensive compared to other options.