Instaread Summaries: 317 books

Summary of The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd | Includes Analysis   Preview: The Invention of Wings is a moving novel inspired by the historical figure of Sarah Grimké. The book is written from the points of view of the two main characters, Sarah and Handful. The...

Concussion by Jeanne Marie Laskas | Summary & Analysis   Preview:   Concussion by Jeanne Marie Laskas chronicles the story of Dr. Bennet Omalu, a Nigerian-born forensic pathologist known for his seminal research on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative...

Summary of God Help the Child by Toni Morrison | Includes Analysis   Preview: God Help the Child by Toni Morrison is a dramatic novel that focuses on how adults are affected by what happened to them when they were children. Bride, a successful, young, black woman,...

The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks | Summary &  Analysis Preview: The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks is a fictionalized story of the Old Testament hero and king, David. Natan, friend and advisor to King David, receives permission to write David’s biography. David has...

Summary of The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins | Includes Analysis   Preview: In The God Delusion, philosopher Richard Dawkins evaluates popular arguments for the existence of God. The idea that God is not an object that can be accessed and reviewed using human...

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates | Summary & Analysis   Preview: As society has experienced the recent deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Eric Garner through media coverage, it has begun a dialogue regarding the treatment of young men of color and the attitude...

Summary of In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume | Includes Analysis   Preview: In the Unlikely Event is a fictional account of a real series of plane crashes that took place between December 1951 and August 1952 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Miri Ammerman is a young...

Summary of Grit: by Angela Duckworth | Includes Analysis   Preview: In Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, Angela Duckworth discusses her research into the characteristics of successful people. She argues that innate talent is less important to success than the willingness...

Summary of Superforecasting by Philip E. Tetlock and Dan Gardner | Includes Analysis   Preview: Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction is a nonfiction book about the accuracy of forecasting. It recounts the efforts of Philip E. Tetlock, a professor of...

Summary of Evicted by Michael Desmond | Includes Analysis   Preview: Matthew Desmond’s Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City is a sociological study of evictions, housing, and homelessness in Milwaukee. The book follows the lives of a number of tenants and...

**Summary of Essentialism by Greg McKeown | Includes Analysis **   Preview: Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less is a self-help book by Greg McKeown. The book outlines a minimalist approach to tasks and obligations by focusing on truly important goals and learning...

Summary of The Divide: by Matt Taibbi | Includes Analysis   Preview: The Divide by Matt Taibbi approaches the complicated topic of the unequal treatment of defendants in the United States criminal justice system based on wealth, through individual stories and rarely heard cases...

Summary of Money Making Mom by Crystal Paine | Includes Analysis   Preview: Money Making Mom by Crystal Paine is a finance guide that encourages women to generate greater income streams through creative, entrepreneurial business ideas. It lays out ways for women, especially...

Summary of Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin | Includes Analysis   Preview: Gretchen Rubin is a successful self-help book writer, lifestyle blogger and bestselling author. In her latest book, Better than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives, she unveils methods...