Books in a Hurry

Books in a Hurry is a free online reading platform that publishes condensed books on large subjects, each roughly ten to fourteen thousand words long and designed to be read in about an hour. The series plans to cover 366 titles, one for each day of the year, on topics such as the Ottoman Empire, the human body, mathematics, Ancient Rome, and economics. All titles are available to read on the site at no cost, with no account or paywall required.

The platform is built for curious people who never finish the 400-page version of a subject, offering a straightforward bet to give people the whole idea in a length they will genuinely finish. It aims to address the problem of reading becoming inaccessible due to the competition with infinite feeds engineered to hold attention. The series is sized to an hour, ensuring users can start it on the sofa and finish it before the tea goes cold.

Every book in the series is written by Max Brocklesby himself to a fixed standard of plain English, honest about the sources, and sized to an hour. The first book, Stoicism in a Hurry, was written as a format test for everything that follows. Each title is one you would expect to take a term, or a shelf, ensuring nothing small or padded is included.

Visitors can browse a library of available titles and sign up to receive an email notification when a new book is published. New books land most weeks, and subscribers get one email when a new hour lands with no spam or daily nagging. Unsubscribing is done in one click, and there is no fourteen-day trial required.

The series plans to cover 366 titles, one for each day of the year, including leap years. Every title is a giant subject like Ancient Rome, the human brain, Shakespeare, Russia, or the whole of economics. The goal is for users to read one a day and know a staggering amount in twelve months.

The platform operates entirely for free, with no account or paywall required to read any title. There is no fourteen-day trial needed, and users can simply open a book and go. The cost to read is £0, making it accessible to everyone without any financial barriers.

Max Brocklesby is the founder, builder, and compulsive reader based in London who wrote every book in the series. He runs several businesses and builds a steady stream of independent web tools and sites. The contact page is the fastest way to reach him for feedback, subject requests, or partnership ideas.

The website states that the invention of the endless feed rewired attention faster than publishing adjusted, necessitating a new approach. The series is a sensible response to this shift, providing short, complete, well-written books. This makes it different from competitors by focusing on a single sitting of reading without requiring a bookmark.

Some reviewers praise the ability to finish a book in one sitting, noting that it is complete enough to be worth the time invested. The format allows users to start on the sofa and finish before the tea goes cold, which is a significant convenience. The plain English style and honest sourcing are also appreciated by readers.

The platform ensures that every title is a giant subject, avoiding anything that is naturally a short article. This focus on big subjects ensures that each book provides substantial value in a single hour. The consistency in length and depth is a key feature of the service.

The series aims to cover 366 titles, one for each day of the year, ensuring a steady stream of new content. New books land most weeks, keeping the library fresh and engaging for regular readers. This frequent update schedule is a key part of the platform's strategy.

The platform is located in London, as indicated by the founder's base, and operates globally online. The website is booksinahurry.com, and it is accessible to anyone with an internet connection. The service is designed to be used anywhere, anytime, without geographical restrictions.

The platform has existed since the launch of the first book, Stoicism in a Hurry, which served as a format test. The series has grown to include 366 planned titles, each covering a major subject. The consistent release schedule of new books most weeks shows ongoing development.

On Trustburn, Books in a Hurry has a rating of 3.8 out of 5 based on 5 reviews.