Review: Can this book summary app really replace the real thing?

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It seems like everyone’s talking about books these days. Whether it’s the latest celebrity memoir or a gripping thriller that’s impossible to put down, book discussions are dominating my social media feeds and conversations with friends. But, like many of you, I just haven’t had the time or motivation to actually read many — or any — of these books.

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The good news is we aren’t alone: A recent poll by Test Prep Insight found that almost half of respondents haven’t read any books in over a year. The bad news? We’re missing out on these trending heroes and storylines. I found Headway, a book summary app that’s supposed to help, and this was my experience.

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What: Sale on Headway
When: Through November 10
Price: $83 (down from $416)
Where to buy: Headway Premium: Lifetime Subscription

Read or listen to books in 15 minutes or less

Part of what scares me away from cracking open a “real” book is that it’ll take me days, or weeks, to finish the thing. But Headway summarizes books into 15-minute pieces, making the process far less intimidating.

The first summary I opened was An Immense World, a summary of how animal senses reveal the hidden realms around us. I chose to listen to this book and follow along with the text to get the full experience, and I learned things like how owls hunt in the dark and why snakes have forked tongues. I finished the book in 12 minutes, not days.

Here are some other titles I’ve enjoyed recently:

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The more I use Headway, the more I find that I enjoy listening to books the most. I’ll select one, pop in my earbuds, and do chores or go for a walk.

Get personalized content recommendations

When I set up my Headway account, the app prompted me to choose three new goals to get content recommendations. While you might choose some for work or relationships, I selected to achieve life balance, lead a healthy lifestyle, and boost intelligence.

Then, the app shares a collection of reads under each category on my For You page. Sometimes, I’m in the mood for some nutritional advice, and other times, I’m looking to learn something new with a title like The Climate Book by Greta Thunberg.

More often, I’m simply curious what’s new. Headway adds new books every time I come to the app, and you can find these titles on the Explore tab. I always love just searching for topics or authors and seeing what pops up.

Take challenges to stay motivated

While I try to listen to a Headway summary every day, that doesn’t usually happen. But, I did see that Headway has reading challenges (and learning streaks) that could help me achieve this goal with pre-selected books along the way. I think I’ll take the 7-day Emotional Intelligence challenge and collect three digital trophies during it.

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If you wish you read more but don’t have the time, I recommend Headway. Plus, a lifetime subscription to the app is currently on sale for $83, making it the perfect time to sign up or gift a subscription to a loved one.

What: Sale on Headway
When: Through November 10
Price: $83 (down from $416)
Where to buy: Headway Premium: Lifetime Subscription

Prices subject to change.

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