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Cut the long story Short ( A Quick Blinkist Review)
Blinkist is an efficient learning tool that will help you digest the key ideas from the books quickly. It is well worth it with over 4000+ titles and a special discount $0.20/day price tag. You can even try it for free for 7 days.
Since we were a child, we’ve been told that reading is the best way to improve our knowledge and learn new things. This is still very true. However, there are tons of good books to read and we have very little time to read it all. So to be able to get the best out of reading, we need to read fast and we need to learn quickly. So how can we achieve this?
The answer is simple. Have a system that allows you to get the best out of nonfiction books and in a very short time period. So do we really need to improve our reading speed? But how fast a human being can really read? I am sure there are tons of courses claiming to teach you how to read at lightspeed, but this blog post is not about that. This is a more realistic approach and you can start using it straight away.
Blinkist Book Summary App
By now, you have probably heard and seen Blinkist almost everywhere? It claims to offer the key insights to non-fiction books in approximately 15 minutes. It has over 18 million readers worldwide and it is one of the biggest Book Summary Apps out there, but Is Blinkist any good? Is it worth it to pay for book summary services? And does it replace the actual books?
Why should you choose Blinkist Book Summary App over actual books?
There is no replacement for actual books. For me, the smell and the sound of the turning pages make the reading exciting. With each page you turn, you have a sense of accomplishment. You finished a page and starting a new one. Even the journey to a book store or a library is an experience by itself. You can never have this with audiobooks, eBooks, etc. But having said that Blinkist Book Summary App has some major benefits.
Blinkist App Benefits
Saves time on learning new information. Each book is divided into a list of key ideas (that are called blinks). Each blink includes some examples and actionable steps to help understand the ideas.
It helps you choose the right book to read. Sometimes, you buy a book and you realize that you already heard about the ideas that are presented in the book. So, Blinkist App allows you to quickly read the summary. If you like what is presented and want to explore furthermore, you can purchase the actual book.
You can also listen to the summaries instead of reading. Blinkist app gives you option to listen to the summaries. So you can carry on learning while walking, driving, etc.
Access to over 4000+ books. I am sure by the time you read this, there will be more book summaries available.
Learn more with Shortcasts. Blinkist also offers shortcasts (podcasts) that helps you hear from the author of the books, talking about their books. It is a good way to explore and learn more about the book you read. The shortcasts includes in the Blinkist substitution.
Access on different devices and platforms. Blinkist app is available on Apple, Android, Windows,
What Blinkist is not?
Second Hand Information – When you read a book, you actually get the main idea directly from the author. In Blinkist, you get the information from someone else who read the book. So there is a possibility that there may be some useful information missed out.
Limited Scenarios and examples – Sometimes you will need in-depth examples or scenarios to get the idea. Unfortunately, as the summaries are approximately 15 minutes long, some details are left out.
No actual book reading experience – For me, reading the book is not only about getting the information. It is about going to the bookstore, choosing the book, and reading the actual book. It is about holding the book, smelling the pages, and hearing the pages as you turn them. Of course, you won’t get these experiences with Blinmist or any other book summary services.
Not suitable for nonfiction – I always believe that non-fiction books should be read from start to finish and there is no replacement for that.
Is Blinkist Any Good?
Having listed all the Pros and Cons of Blinkist above,there is still the question, is Blinkist any good?
I recently checked the usage of the apps on my phone. According to the data, Blinkist is the most used app on my phone. So for me, Blinkist is a very useful tool that helps me learn and improve my knowledge.
Is it worth it to pay for Blinkist or any other book summary service?
I took advantage of the 7 days Blinkist trial and since then I haven’t looked back. I even paid for the yearly subscription. For me it was money well spent. If you are into learning new information, I think Blinkist helps you get the information quickly. However, if you are not into learning or reading then maybe it is not for you.
Does Blinkist replace the actual books?
Yes and no. I think this is completely how you felt about the summary you read. There are some summaries that encouraged me to purchase the actual book.
How much does blinkist cost?
You can first try the Blinkist yourself and decide if it is something for you or not. Once you decide to subscribe, you can get Blinkist as low as $0.20/day (Yes I will say it. A LOT LESS THAN STARBUCKS COFFEE).
Blinkist Cost – Here is the table that shows you price breakdown
| Per Day | Monthly Cost | Yearly Cost |
| Approx. $0.49 | $14.99 (Charged Monthly) | $179.88 |
| Approx. $0.25 | $7.49 (Charged yearly) | $89.99 |
| Approx. $0.20 | $5.99 (Special DadWithPurpose.com Affiliate discount) | $71.99 |
What are Blinkist alternatives?
The only other book summary service I personally use is Readingraphics.com. They provide PDF summaries of the books along with audio and infographics. However, there are other popular services out there which you could try. I haven’t tried them yet, but if you used any of these services, you could share them in the comment section. Also, I would like to hear about your experience with Blinkist and any other book summary services.
Conclusion
Since I started using Blinkist 3 months ago, I read over 35 book summaries. I must say, it is one of my best purchases for productivity and learning. Thanks to Blinkist I discovered some great books like Power of Habit, 12 Rules of Life, The 5 Love Languages, and many others. There are still lots to read and lots to learn. I really believe you can discover your own favorites too.