This iPhone apps turns all of the books you'll never read into 15-minute lessons
Blinkist condenses popular books and podcasts.
iPhone/iPad - Free (In-App Purchases)
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In today’s super fast-paced world, our desire to consume vast amounts of knowledge from books and podcasts often clashes with the reality of how much time we have to spare. This is where Blinkist comes into play, an incredibly handy learning app that’s designed to bridge the gap between your aspirations and your hectic schedule.
Available for the iPhone and iPad, Blinkist offers an easy-to-use solution to your ever-growing to-read and to-listen lists that, if you’re anything like me, you’re really struggling to manage.
The team at Blinkist work hard to condense the core insights and lessons from over 5,000 best-selling non-fiction books and top-tier podcasts into digestible explainers that you can either read or listen to in just 15 minutes. Whether it's the fascinating history explored in Sapiens or the life-changing principles of The 5AM Club, Blinkist ensures you're always only a few minutes away from learning something new and impactful.
Here's why Blinkist is well worth your time
The app focuses on delivering content that has already gained popularity, ensuring a consistently high quality of information. I do worry that this may mean it overlooks some lesser-known hidden gems, but Blinkist promises that the personalized recommendations are tailored to your interests and the editorial team's careful selection process.
Blinkist is just so convenient, integrating learning into your daily routine. With features like audible versions of book insights, a customizable personal audio book library, and the ability to download content for offline listening, the app makes it much easier to enrich your knowledge while on the move, whether you’re working out, commuting or just getting on with household chores.
The app also introduces "Shortcasts," which are abridged versions of podcasts, some of which are actually exclusive collaborations with the original creators, offering up unique insights into a condensed, easily digestible format.
Although I was initially skeptical of the concept – nothing can beat reading the actual book, right? I now think it’s not just a compromise, but a gateway to deeper exploration. If a topic genuinely interests you, the app can serve as a springboard, encouraging you to delve into the full book or porcast. In essence, Blinkist doesn't just make learning accessible, it makes it adaptable to your life and the limited time we all have to dedicate to self-development.
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Becca Caddy is a contributor to iMore, as well as a freelance journalist and author. She’s been writing about consumer tech and popular science for more than a decade, covering all kinds of topics, including why robots have eyes and whether we’ll experience the overview effect one day. She’s particularly interested in VR/AR, wearables, digital health, space tech and chatting to experts and academics about the future. She’s contributed to TechRadar, T3, Wired, New Scientist, The Guardian, Inverse and many more. Her first book, Screen Time, came out in January 2021 with Bonnier Books. She loves science-fiction, brutalist architecture, and spending too much time floating through space in virtual reality. Last time she checked, she still holds a Guinness World Record alongside iMore Editor in Chief Gerald Lynch for playing the largest game of Tetris ever made, too.