Forget CliffsNotes, this app summarizes lengthy books into bite-sized portions.

For a long time, my passion for books has been with me, although I don't remember exactly when it started. My interest spans multiple genres, such as crime, thrillers, and historical novels. However, I face a dilemma: there are more books than I can read in a lifetime. I generally read for pleasure, but there is a large set of books on productivity and leadership that I struggle to find time for. Titles like "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" or "The 5 AM Club" are recommended by my friends, and I often reply that they are on my to-read list, but I rarely make the time to read them.

Recently, I found a solution: Headway, an app that summarizes books into 15-minute text readings or audio clips. With this tool, I can get the essence of a book without having to read it in full. My experience with the app begins with a series of questions that help personalize a list of recommended books. I chose categories like productivity, leadership, and family, although there are also options like self-development, negotiation, or sports.

The categories are adjustable at any time, and there is also an "Explore" tab that shows the latest summaries or allows for searching new categories. I especially enjoy the "Collections" section, which groups similar summaries for a deeper dive into specific topics, such as "Think Like a CEO" or "Sales & Trading Hacks."

Another interesting feature is a small quiz that helps identify the types of intelligence that predominate in each user. While it is not infallible, it is useful for discovering strengths and weaknesses. With all of this clear, the next step was to decide when and where I would listen to the 15-minute summaries. I knew that, although I had good intentions, I needed to integrate them into my routine.

I chose to listen to and read summaries before sleeping and during my daily commutes. The ability to alternate between listening, reading, and watching summaries makes it easier to fit them into daily life. I find the summaries very useful and they effectively reflect the content of the books. The real challenge is applying what I’ve learned; listening and forgetting is not enough. The key is to take notes and establish action points that help turn that information into meaningful habits.

Headway also allows you to highlight phrases that turn into interactive flashcards, which makes memorization easier. In order to maintain motivation, the app offers the possibility of collecting achievements, tracking progress, and setting activity streaks. These incentives create a sense of advancement and commitment to the established goals.

The free version of Headway includes a daily summary and some ideas, but if you want access to more summaries, a plan is required that costs $12.99 / £7.99 per month or $89.99 / £35 annually.