TopShelf Magazine June 2023

My name is Carlen, and I run Pithy Summary, a free book summary website that publishes a monthly outline of a compelling non-fiction book, as well as a recommendation for a book in a related genre (memoir, poetry, fiction, etc.) and a recommendation for a related product. This way, busy people can learn about a new, engrossing subject in a simple format, and if they'd like a different medium on that same topic, they can peruse the recommendations.

I started this website because I realized that I know so little about the world, and non-fiction books are a highly useful means of learning new material--this is where experts distill all they've learned on a specific topic into a couple hundred pages. But, I know that most people, despite the urge to learn, don't have much time to do so; specifically, the time to pick a new book, buy it or borrow it, and then read it. Through Pithy Summary, though, people can at least get a taste of the book before investing time and money, and even if they don't, at least they will have explored a little new territory.

The outlines begin with a brief summary of the book, why I think it's important, and what information someone will get from the book. They then delve into an outline of points that I found particularly fascinating, and then end with a section called "And more, including" where I list other interesting aspects of the book that the outline did not cover.

As for the type of books that I outline, my motto is "I'll read anything!" Social issues, environmental issues, statistics, history,

economics, government--I welcome it all. For instance, some of the books I've outlined are: "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria" (race and sociology), "Energy for Future Presidents" (energy policy) "Perfectly Legal" (the U.S. tax system), "Citizens of London" (WWII), "Gunfight" (the Second Amendment), "The Sixth Extinction" (environment), "Dreamland" (the opioid crisis), and many more.

I provide a Monthly Bulletin (sign-up available on the website), which is just one email a month informing recipients that there's a new outline; it also includes quotes from the books. Pithy Summary is also on Instagram (@pithysummary_). I have written book recommendations for authors who have reached out to me with books that fit a monthly theme, but because I only publish twelve bulletins a year, I have to be selective. I also have a page at Bookshop.org that lists most of the books on the website; if you purchase anything from Bookshop via the links on the Pithy Summary website, I get a small percentage at no cost to you.

On a personal level, I'm a civil rights attorney and a proud University of Michigan wolverine. Reading has always been a refuge, which is an interesting image, frankly--"refuge" makes me think of a small, cozy space, when in fact reading is one of the most expansive and exploratory things we can do. If you'd like to contact me, my website has a contact page where you can submit inquiries. I hope you'll join me at Pithy Summary in reading and learning!

LISTED ON REEDSY’S BEST NON-FICTION BOOK REVIEW BLOGS OF 2022 AND 2023 & KINDLEPRENEUR’S “ULTIMATE LIST OF THE BEST BOOK REVIEW BLOGS”