Shortform: Quick Entertainment

Cannot get past the black screen

As a professor, I find this app valuable for my work, helping me identify relevant course materials. However, I’m disappointed with its limitations, such as the inability to download summaries as PDFs or copy and paste content with proper citations (as other similar services for fiction/literature allow). These restrictions make the service feel overpriced for my needs.

The support is well organized and clear about how to correct what needs to be to be corrected and a clear way to request what you want. I especially like the explanation of what had been done when my credit card failed. I still had access to the service but within certain upgrades. No anxiety about what now? Easy to work with and get back what I realize is an invaluable resource in today’s increasingly info dense internet. And real value is added by the content summaries. Thank you!!!

Was pleasantly surprised that ShortForm provides exceptional and very prompt service for inquires and requesting new titles! This platform is a keeper!

This company is pretty unethical. I tried the “free” trial but they make it very hard to stop the charge if you decide it isn’t for you at the end of the trial… which I did after emailing them… no easy button there. It wasn’t refunded. Had to deal with my credit card company. Ended up paying near 197… a fraction less, for less then a month. Will still keep fighting this with my credit card company. I am exhausted trying to deal with them - they are COUNTING on this. They are unethical and based on that alone - don’t do business with them.

As a lawyer I do a lot of analytical reading. I appreciate Shortform summaries which accurately review the authors ideas and arguments. They also present counterpoint ideas and arguments from other leading authors. These summaries are more like a mini college course on the subject. Most summaries are about 30 minutes, which gives more time for better analysis than the usual 15-minute summaries from other services. I gain a better understanding of many ideas in an entertaining capsule.

I cancelled and deleted this app within hours a year ago. Today, they charged me for a full year subscription without my consent. The only way to contact them is via email which you will only get an automated response. You will also notice that the response to my review is a boiler plate stating “confusion about your subscription “. Shame on Apple for allowing there greedy scammers onto the App Store!

Note: if you are outside of the trial period you are 100% stuck with that subscription, no refunds. Also note: In terms of content, I didn’t explore much out of the realm of philosophy. The summaries and condensed chapters were decent, but there were notes salt and peppered throughout which I felt were unnecessary and at times biased and intrusive on the reading experience…things you wouldn’t experience simply reading the book. TLDR used it a couple times and now I’m stuck with a 365 day non refundable subscription.

This app lacks the ability to page-turn like the Libby and Kindle apps. Shortform scrolling to read is a poor experience. This should be a simple fix to add page turning but the app has been fairly static for some time now. What a waste of the great content.

I’ve tried Blinkist, Headway, StoryShots, but nothing comes close to Shortform. After reading their summaries I really feel like I’ve learned things whereas other apps always leaves me feeling like something is missing. If you are serious about learning then this is a very cheap investment as you will benefit from your growth for the rest of your life.