Shortform Books

10 Best Book Summary Apps to Power Up Your Learning (2025)

A cartoon of a girl holding a book surrounded by book summary app logos

Book summary apps have become essential tools for professionals, students, and lifelong learners. Whether you want to vet a book before you decide to read the full thing, absorb knowledge on the go, explore a new topic quickly, or need a refresher on a classic read, these apps offer a fast, efficient way to grasp key insights from thousands of books. But with so many options available, which book summary app fits your needs the best? We’ve done the homework, so you don’t have to. In no hierarchical order, here are the best book summary apps of 2025, each offering

Leor Zmigrod’s The Ideological Brain: Book Overview

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What makes some people fall for extreme ideologies while others remain open-minded? The answer might be hiding in our brain structure and thinking patterns. A Cambridge neuroscientist has discovered surprising connections between our neural wiring and our political beliefs. Leor Zmigrod’s The Ideological Brain: The Radical Science of Flexible Thinking shows that ideology isn’t just about the ideas we choose; it’s about how our brains are built to think. Some minds are naturally rigid, while others stay flexible and adapt to new evidence. Read on to discover how ideology rewires your brain—and what you can do to protect yourself from

Andrew Huberman: Cortisol Is Vital for Energy Management

A woman with long brown hair and a thoughtful expression looking at a whiteboard that has "CORTISOL" written on it

Do you sometimes feel energized in the morning but struggle to wind down at night? What if you could get better sleep and sustained energy by leveraging your body’s natural hormone cycles? According to neuroscientist Andrew Huberman, cortisol gets a bad rap. In an episode of Huberman Lab titled “How to Control Your Cortisol & Overcome Burnout,” he explains how cortisol actually serves as your body’s sophisticated energy management system.

Shortform vs. getAbstract: A Detailed Comparison (2025)

The world now produces more information in a single day than it did in the entire year of 2002. In the wake of the information explosion, book summary platforms help readers learn faster, think deeper, and make smarter decisions. Two popular names in this space are Shortform and getAbstract, each offering its own take on condensed nonfiction content. But, when it comes to quality, depth, and usability, how do they compare? This guide compares Shortform vs. getAbstract to help you decide which platform best supports your learning goals. Summary Depth Both platforms aim to distill big ideas into digestible formats,

Killing Sacred Cows: Book Overview (Garrett Gunderson)

A person in a sweater holding a piggy bank

Is wealth a zero-sum game with few winners? How can you continuously build wealth? Traditional wisdom tells us to maximize 401(k) contributions, avoid debt, and save diligently for a distant retirement. Garrett Gunderson’s book Killing Sacred Cows breaks down his alternative view of wealth creation and financial freedom: one that promotes strategic planning and empowerment. Read more in our Killing Sacred Cows book overview.

Shortform vs. Blinkist vs. Headway: Comparing the Apps (2025)

Do you want to read and learn more, but struggle to find the time to sit down with a book for hours? That’s where book summary apps come in—offering a faster way to absorb key insights from popular books while filtering out the extraneous information. If you’re researching book summary apps, then you’re likely comparing Shortform vs. Blinkist vs. Headway. These three platforms are leading the charge in helping busy people learn more in less time. But, while they all promise to distill big ideas into bite-sized formats, the experience—and the value—can differ quite a bit depending on which one

The Next Day: Transitions, Change, and Moving Forward

Melinda French Gates at the World Economic Forum

How do we navigate life’s major upheavals when our plans suddenly fall apart? What can we learn from someone who successfully rebuilt her identity after divorce, career changes, and personal transformation? Melinda French Gates offers a roadmap for handling transitions in The Next Day: Transitions, Change, and Moving Forward. Drawing from her experiences leaving Microsoft, co-founding the Gates Foundation, divorcing Bill Gates, and becoming a grandmother, she presents practical strategies for moving through uncertainty with grace and purpose. Read more to discover her framework for turning life’s most challenging moments into opportunities.

Get It Done: Surprising Lessons From the Science of Motivation

Why do so many people struggle to stick with their goals, even when they start with the best intentions? What if the problem isn’t your willpower, but how you design and pursue your objectives? Ayelet Fishbach’s Get It Done: Surprising Lessons From the Science of Motivation reveals science-backed strategies for achieving what matters most. Fishbach’s approach shows how to craft compelling objectives, push through the inevitable middle slump, and balance competing priorities without burning out. Read on to discover how small changes in your goal-setting strategy can improve your success rate and help you finally accomplish what you’ve been putting

Habits of a Happy Brain: Book Overview (Loretta Breuning)

How does the brain create that sweet feeling of happiness? Why is happiness defined as a survival mechanism? Loretta Breuning says that by understanding how your brain achieves happiness, you can rewire it to build positive, sustainable happiness habits. In Habits of a Happy Brain, Breuning discusses the brain chemistry of happiness, how harmful happiness-seeking patterns develop, and her methods for building and maintaining healthier happiness habits. Read more in our Habits of a Happy Brain book overview.

Bill Gates’s Source Code: My Beginnings (Book Overview)

Young Bill Gates with a thoughtful expression sitting in a chair by a window

What childhood experiences shaped Bill Gates into the tech visionary we know today? How did a rebellious middle child from Seattle end up founding one of the world’s most influential technology companies? Bill Gates’s Source Code: My Beginnings reveals these formative moments. The book traces his journey from an energetic troublemaker to a pioneering entrepreneur. Gates shares stories about family influences, early computer encounters, and the friendships that changed everything. Continue reading for an overview of this autobiography.