There are nonfiction books which lose a lot in summarisation. This is almost the definition of a great book. Take Wittgenstein’s Tractatus : its central rhetorical move, which is also one of its main points about metaphysics, will simply not happen unless you make an effort to read it.
The question assumes that books are just baggy vehicles for schematic bullet-point arguments. Julia Galef has a wonderful list of the many other ways books can update you.
There are nonfiction books which lose a lot in summarisation. This is almost the definition of a great book. Take Wittgenstein’s Tractatus : its central rhetorical move, which is also one of its main points about metaphysics, will simply not happen unless you make an effort to read it.
The question assumes that books are just baggy vehicles for schematic bullet-point arguments. Julia Galef has a wonderful list of the many other ways books can update you.
(So as not to be mystical, here’s something which sketches what the Tractarian move is. But trust me, it isn’t the same.)