Comprehensive Review of Blinkist the Book Summary App

If you've come across Blinkist, the book summary app, either through their advertising or word of mouth, you might be curious to learn more about it.

Whether you're a student, a professional, or simply an avid reader, you likely recognize the value of well-written nonfiction books. However, finding the time to read entire books can be challenging when you only need a few key insights. In such cases, a quick summary before deciding to purchase the complete book can be beneficial.

In this article, I will provide an authentic review of Blinkist as a paying subscriber, sharing insights on whether it's worth investing in the app. 

Featured In This Review

Blinkist: Powerful ideas—15 minutes at a time

Free & Paid

Acclaimed educational app with text and audio breakdowns of core concepts from nonfiction. Discover 40 Fresh Titles Monthly. Dive into the main takeaways from top-selling nonfiction in just 15 minutes. Highlighted podcast episodes. Enjoy offline reading. Best of non-fiction literature.

Go To Blinkist

Our Concise Evaluation of Blinkist

Why Trust Our Opinion? As a paying customer of Blinkist for several years, I have firsthand experience with the app. I started using Blinkist even before establishing this website. Over time, I've recommended it to numerous friends and family members who crave reading but struggle to find sufficient time.

Key Points to Note:

With numerous book summarizing apps available, what sets Blinkist apart from the rest?

Efficient Time Management: Blinkist helps you effectively manage your reading time by identifying titles worth exploring further and those best avoided.

An Educational Gem: Whether you're studying or working, there's never enough time to devour every new title and explore exciting ideas within a specific field. By reading or listening to summaries, you can delve into these subjects without spending hours in the library.

Expertly Curated Insights: Each book is meticulously condensed into chapters that highlight key ideas. Industry experts and professionals thoroughly study the books on your behalf, providing you with quick, informative summaries that enhance your knowledge.

Cost-Effective Solution: Utilizing Blinkist can save you a significant amount of money. Whether you opt for the free or premium plan, it proves more economical than purchasing books online or offline. Furthermore, after reading the summary, you might discover that the book wasn't as valuable as anticipated.

Catering to Different Learning Styles: Blinkist accommodates diverse learning preferences. Whether you enjoy reading or prefer audiobooks, the blinks are available in both written and audio formats, allowing you to learn at your convenience.

User-Friendly Interface: Blinkist offers an intuitive and easy-to-use interface, ensuring a seamless user experience.

Convenient Reference: You can highlight the most crucial parts of a book for future reference and easily access them later using Evernote.

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Unlocking the Power of Time with Blinkist

With a vast library of over 3,000 nonfiction book summaries, Blinkist caters to the needs of professionals and students alike, offering easily digestible content that can be read and understood efficiently.

Within a concise fifteen-minute timeframe, Blinkist delivers comprehensive summaries that distill the key points of each book.

This app empowers you to make the most of your available time, allowing for effective time management.

Consider the moments when you needed to quickly grasp the essence of a book to engage in discussions with clients, complete assignments, or refresh your memory before a meeting with your supervisor. Book summaries serve as an invaluable tool for swiftly capturing the crucial elements of a text.

Each summary or insight provided is referred to as a "Blink," enabling you to enhance your understanding of specific topics or gain a comprehensive preview of a book you may consider purchasing and reading in the future.

Featured In This Review

Blinkist: Powerful ideas—15 minutes at a time

Free & Paid

Acclaimed educational app with text and audio breakdowns of core concepts from nonfiction. Discover 40 Fresh Titles Monthly. Dive into the main takeaways from top-selling nonfiction in just 15 minutes. Highlighted podcast episodes. Enjoy offline reading. Best of non-fiction literature.

Go To Blinkist

Why Choose Blinkist as Your Go-To Book Summary Service?

In today's fast-paced world, certain situations call for the practicality and convenience offered by a book summary service like Blinkist.

Here are some compelling reasons to consider using Blinkist:

1. Prioritizing Your Reading: When a book doesn't top your priority list, but you still want to grasp its essence without investing excessive time and effort.
2. Maximizing Efficiency: When you aim to spend less time reading and more time implementing the valuable lessons derived from the book.
3. Dealing with Differing Opinions: When a book receives mixed reviews, and you hold an interest in it, yet remain skeptical due to the varying opinions of other readers.
4. Cutting through Fluff: When a book conveys an appealing message but contains extraneous content that fails to deliver genuine value. You desire to extract the core essence and actual worth of the material.
5. Time Constraints: When time becomes a precious commodity, hindering your ability to dedicate sufficient hours to reading. Alternatively, if you've previously read a book and seek a quick refresher on its key insights.

In all of these scenarios, employing an app like Blinkist, which provides book summaries, proves advantageous.

While glancing at a book's table of contents can provide an overview of its subject matter, it often requires delving into at least 20% of the book to form a comprehensive opinion. A book summary allows you to bypass that initial portion, saving you time and effort.

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Exploring the Role of Book Summaries in Learning

Utilizing a summary service like Blinkist enables you to delve into more books without investing additional time.

By reading summaries, you gain access to valuable information crafted by numerous experts and professionals, allowing you to become well-versed in a particular subject.

As you navigate through diverse viewpoints, you acquire a holistic understanding of the topic at hand. Especially if you're interviewing for a new job and need to more knowledge on a subject.

So, does this mean that the more books you can "read," the better?

Well, it's not always that straightforward since relying solely on summaries means sacrificing a substantial amount of content.

To ensure that reading on Blinkist enhances your learning, consider the following five steps:

1. Choose a Topic: Select a topic of interest that encompasses varying perspectives. By exploring and comparing different opinions, you broaden your understanding.
2. Read Summaries by Different Authors: Blinkist proves invaluable as it grants you the ability to swiftly absorb abstracts from multiple books in a single day. Read summaries from diverse authors, each offering unique viewpoints on the same issue.
3. Document Key Lessons: Continuously record the essential lessons derived from the book summaries. This practice ensures that you can revisit the books at a later date and solidify your recollection of those lessons.
4. Dive into Complete Books: When you encounter an opinion or lesson that piques your interest, seize the opportunity to explore the author's ideas further by reading the entire book.
5. Formulate Your Own Opinions: Having immersed yourself in a range of perspectives on your chosen topic, you can now develop informed conclusions based on the insights gained.

By following these steps, you can effectively leverage book summaries on Blinkist to enhance your learning journey.

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How Blinkist Works

The Process of Adding Books to Blinkist

Blinkist provides both an online version and a user-friendly app. The Blinkist team carefully selects books by examining bestsellers and popular titles across various niches. They consult industry specialists and read reviews to curate a collection of high-quality picks for their database. Additionally, users have the opportunity to suggest books for inclusion in the Blinkist summaries. These suggestions are added to the wishlist, where members can upvote their favorites.

How Books are Summarized on Blinkist

Once a book is chosen by the Blinkist team, a group of skilled freelancers reads the book, extracts the key lessons, and transforms them into concise "blinks." These blinks focus on the main ideas of each book, omitting unnecessary details. Each Blinkist summary can be read in approximately fifteen minutes, and an audio version is also available.

Recommended Book Categories on Blinkist

Blinkist offers an extensive range of nonfiction books, covering twenty-eight categories, including History and Biography, Social and Communication Skills, Small Business Development and Entrepreneurship, Health and Fitness, Motivation and Inspiration, Society and Politics, Economics, Corporate Culture, Parenting, Mindfulness and Happiness, and Sex and Relationships, among others.

Accessing Your Book Summaries

Blinkist is accessible on both computers and smartphones, allowing you to conveniently access the book summaries of your choice. It's like having hundreds of useful and exciting books in your pocket, backpack, or briefcase, ready to be read before an important meeting or lecture. You can even download your book summaries on the app for offline use. Whether you use the Blinkist app or the desktop version, your book summaries can be accessed through your library.

Your Blinkist Library

Once you become a registered Blinkist member, your library becomes the repository for all your saved book summaries, allowing you to read them at your convenience. To add book titles to your library, you can explore different categories, view popular titles and new releases, use the search function to find specific books or authors, or refer to curated lists on the Blinkist blog.

Book Summary Pages

Each book title on Blinkist includes a short blurb providing a brief overview of the book, the author, and the intended audience for reading the summary. When you click into a book summary, you gain access to all the book's blinks, which are the essential lessons extracted from the original text, excluding extraneous content.

Featured In This Review

Blinkist: Powerful ideas—15 minutes at a time

Free & Paid

Acclaimed educational app with text and audio breakdowns of core concepts from nonfiction. Discover 40 Fresh Titles Monthly. Dive into the main takeaways from top-selling nonfiction in just 15 minutes. Highlighted podcast episodes. Enjoy offline reading. Best of non-fiction literature.

Go To Blinkist

Understanding the Pricing of Blinkist

Let's explore the pricing plans for Blinkist in various countries, including the US, Germany, Canada, Australia, and the UK. We'll also examine the team plans. Although it took some effort, we've compiled a Blinkist Pricing Table with both annual and monthly pricing for these popular countries.

Is Blinkist Free?

The good news is that you can enjoy Blinkist for free. The free plan allows users to access random daily picks. While users cannot choose the specific book they want to read, they can enjoy a random selection of exciting titles each day. However, it's important to note that these may not always align with your preferences. The free plan is a great option for individuals seeking general knowledge.

Cost of Blinkist Premium Plan

The premium plan provides several benefits that many users, including myself, find valuable. Considering the value and learning potential offered by the app, it is reasonably priced and often considered a good investment.

The cost of the premium plan varies depending on your subscription model and location. However, you can enjoy a seven-day free trial of the premium plan to get a glimpse of its offerings without any upfront payment.

To provide a better overview of pricing in different locations and subscription types, we have prepared the table below with prices for selected countries:

Country | Currency | Annual Subscription | Monthly Subscription
United States (USD) | $99.99 | $15.99
Germany (EUR) | €79.99 | €12.99
United Kingdom (GBP) | £59.99 | £9.99
Australia (AUD) | $119.99 | $19.99
Canada (CAD) | $99.99 | $15.99

Note: These prices were checked using a VPN to access Blinkist website and reflect the local pricing in the respective countries.

During the free trial, you have access to all the features of the premium plan, and there is no obligation to pay. You can cancel anytime before the end of the trial period to avoid any charges.

If you choose the monthly plan, you will be charged immediately for three months. With the annual plan, the subscription fee will be charged after the end of the seven-day free trial period. After your subscription expires, you can switch to a new plan if desired.

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Blinkist for Teams

Imagine having the world's best nonfiction books at the fingertips of your employees. Blinkist offers a team pricing structure that enables substantial cost savings:

• Ten employees: $799 per year
• Twenty employees: $1499 per year
• Thirty employees: $2099 per year
• Forty employees: $2599 per year
• Fifty employees: $2999 per year

For larger teams or inquiries beyond fifty subscriptions, you can reach out to the Blinkist team directly.

Additional Blinkist Premium Features

As a premium member, you gain access to several notable features:

• Hands-free App Usage: Enjoy the convenience of listening to summaries or blinks rather than reading them.
• Offline Capability: The app can be used without an internet connection, allowing you to access your favorite picks or blinks while commuting, traveling, or in the office.
• Extensive Book Selection: Browse and choose from thousands of books. With increasing titles added each month, users find it to be a valuable investment.
• Highlighting and Note-Taking: Highlight interesting ideas and easily refer back to them for future reference. Sync your highlights with Evernote or send books to Kindle for convenient access.
• Easy Access to Highlights: All highlights are saved and easily accessible, sortable, and shareable with your network.

Is Blinkist Worth the Investment?

If you're someone who will actively utilize the app, then Blinkist offers tremendous value. It allows you to explore numerous amazing books in a short amount of time. However, if you find during the trial period that you aren't using it as intended, it's advisable to cancel. Regardless of the cost or positive reviews, if the service goes unused, it becomes a waste of money. Ultimately, your usage and engagement determine the value you derive from the app, and no internet review can alter that.

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The Drawbacks of Blinkist

While I have been a daily user of Blinkist for over a year, it's important to acknowledge that no system is perfect. In the spirit of fairness, I would like to highlight some aspects of Blinkist that I find less favorable. Here are a few areas where Blinkist can improve in the future:

1. The Full Book Experience: Reading a complete book offers a more immersive and educational experience compared to reading a summary. While summaries provide a good overview of the main points, they cannot replicate the depth and richness of the entire book.
2. Quality of Summaries: Blinkist relies on freelancers to summarize books, and occasionally, a small percentage of the summaries may be underwhelming. However, it's worth noting that Blinkist continuously updates and improves their summaries, and overall, the quality is exceptional.
3. Accuracy and Message: Summarizing an entire book into a short read of ten minutes can sometimes result in a summary that misses the mark or fails to capture the full message. This limitation arises from the inherent challenge of condensing extensive content into a brief format.
4. Target Audience: Blinkist primarily caters to business owners, self-development enthusiasts, and individuals with a specific interest in nonfiction books. It may not be as suitable for readers seeking in-depth analysis or those looking for a broader range of genres.

While there are criticisms about Blinkist's limitations, it's important to remember that Blinkist's primary promise is to be a summary site. If you desire a more comprehensive understanding of an author's message, reading the complete book remains the best option.

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Should You Use Blinkist?

Blinkist is especially appealing to busy individuals who value time efficiency and wish to gain insights from various books without investing excessive hours. It serves as a practical solution in situations where you may start reading a book only to realize it doesn't align with your needs, or when you prefer to focus on the core points and bypass unnecessary fluff. However, it's essential to recognize that Blinkist is not suitable for everyone.

Here is a list of individuals who are likely to benefit the most from Blinkist:

• Business owners
• Students
• Nonfiction book enthusiasts
• Self-help enthusiasts
• Individuals seeking guidance in choosing their next book
• Those interested in personal finance
• Solopreneurs and side-hustlers
• Individuals seeking to optimize their pockets of time throughout the day

Featured In This Review

Blinkist: Powerful ideas—15 minutes at a time

Free & Paid

Acclaimed educational app with text and audio breakdowns of core concepts from nonfiction. Discover 40 Fresh Titles Monthly. Dive into the main takeaways from top-selling nonfiction in just 15 minutes. Highlighted podcast episodes. Enjoy offline reading. Best of non-fiction literature.

Go To Blinkist

Frequently Asked Questions about Blinkist

Here are some common questions and answers regarding Blinkist:

1. Is Blinkist free?
Yes, Blinkist offers a free version that allows users to read a single summary selected by Blinkist every day. This is a great option for those who want to explore Blinkist's features without committing to a subscription.

2. Can I cancel my Blinkist subscription?
Yes, you can cancel your Blinkist subscription at any time. If you cancel during the free trial period, you won't be charged.

3. Can I switch between monthly and annual plans?
Yes, you can switch between monthly and annual plans. However, it's important to note that the switch takes place at the end of the current billing cycle.

4. Can I access Blinkist on multiple devices?
Yes, you can access Blinkist on multiple devices, including smartphones, tablets, and computers. Your library and progress will be synchronized across all devices.

5. Can I download Blinkist summaries for offline use?
Yes, with a premium subscription, you can download summaries to the Blinkist app and access them offline.

6. How often are new books added to Blinkist?
Blinkist adds new books to its library on a regular basis. They aim to release multiple titles each month, ensuring a diverse and up-to-date collection.

7. Can I suggest books to be included in Blinkist's library?
Yes, you can suggest books to be included in Blinkist's library. Users have the opportunity to suggest books, which are then added to the wishlist for other users to upvote.

8. Are Blinkist book summaries available in different languages?
Currently, Blinkist primarily offers book summaries in English. However, they have recently started expanding their library to include summaries in other languages as well.

9. Can I share my Blinkist highlights with others?
Yes, you can share your Blinkist highlights with others. Blinkist allows you to highlight and save key insights from the book summaries. You can also share your highlights with friends or colleagues.

10. Can I use Blinkist for academic purposes?
While Blinkist provides valuable insights and summaries of nonfiction books, it may not be suitable as a primary source for academic purposes. It is more beneficial for gaining a general understanding of a topic or exploring personal interests.

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In conclusion, Blinkist is a valuable book summary app that provides concise insights from a vast collection of nonfiction books. It offers a user-friendly interface, integration with Evernote and Kindle, and the ability to access summaries in both written and audio formats. The investment in Blinkist's premium plan is worthwhile if you plan on using the app frequently and if the convenience of time-saving summaries aligns with your reading goals. However, it's important to note that Blinkist is not a replacement for reading complete books, and the experience of diving into the full text offers a more immersive learning experience.