QRant: The Blinkist App Will Not Lead to a “Smarter You”

A new app summarises books in to small chunks may not be the best thing around.

(Photo: iStock/ Image altered by The Quint)

“A smarter you in 15 minutes.” That’s the tagline of the Blinkist app. Here’s what it should actually say:

Too lazy to read a book, but still want to sound like a know-it-all at parties and meetings? Blinkist is the solution for folks with the attention span of a 2-year-old.

Screenshot of the Blinkist homepage

The app summarises non-fiction books into 2-minute and 15-minute chunks, and if that isn’t simple enough for you, there are even audio versions of the summaries. Because what better way to get to a “smarter you” than to listen to mutilated versions of books while you’re driving to the gym?

Seriously though, we have all done it. Kunjis in school, hand-me-down notes in college... there is never enough time to read what you want or need to. We all took the shortcuts, whether from laziness or just a lack of time.

So what’s wrong with an app that basically does the same thing?

Well, two things.

Firstly, a book whether fiction or non-fiction, has a narrative. Yes, it takes time and patience to plough through hundreds of pages, especially if work and life consumes you. A kunji is not glorified, sparknotes are not put on the same pedestal as the library. A writer writes, and if we want to know what she says, we should do her the courtesy of at least the attempt to read the words that have been authored. Trying to steal the ‘essence’ of a book is just cheating.

Reading is about more than just acquiring distilled facts. (Photo: iStockphotos)

But Blinkist, and others do something much worse. They reduce something that requires effort, teaches one to navigate ideas and arguments to platitudes and factoids.

How does the app do this?

Well, it seems every book has “key ideas” which can be “distilled into powerfully, made-for-mobile units”. And who is this for? According to the site, for “movers and shakers”.

Listen, I get it. You’re moving through meetings and shaking your booty at dance parties. Then the music dies and you have nothing to talk about. Wouldn’t it be helpful if you could have tidbits to discuss from the vast array of books that can be labelled non-fiction?

Yes, but sometimes taking the time out for something, making the effort is worth it. The point of reading isn’t just acquiring facts. How do you know the facts are the right ones or the best ones from the book? Or even the difference between a good book and a bad one?

Just one more message for the Blinkist people: didn’t we already have Wikipedia?

Also read: I Read a Book in 15 Minutes; Here’s How You Can Do it Too