Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,000+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
An Unprecedented Look at the Most Influential Band of All Time
John Lennon’s first memories come from a three-bedroom red-brick house on Newcastle Road, in a Liverpool suburb called Penny Lane. But his parents split when he was four, and John moved to a wealthier part of town to live with his Aunt Mimi.
A trendy young boy, always the ringleader, he would lark about with his friends and sell lemonade in Strawberry Field, around the corner. Then he discovered rock’n’roll, guitars, and girls. As he got older, he reconnected with his mother, Julia – but tragically, she was killed in a drunk-driving accident when John was 17.
Losing his mother was a bond he shared with Paul McCartney, who was 14 when his mum died of cancer. His family was poorer than John’s, but warmer – and more musical, especially his dad, a trumpeter who passed on his love of brass bands and piano music.
With a little help from a mutual friend, Ivan, Paul met John one day at a local fair, and Paul impressed enough to get into John’s group, the Quarry Men – even though he was playing his guitar upside down. But Paul found he got stage fright when he tried a solo, so he roped in a kid he got the school bus with, George Harrison.
George was from a similar background to Paul – his dad was a bus driver and former seaman – but he was in the school year below; nine months younger than Paul and more than two years younger than John. But there was something in the way he played guitar – he was obsessed with them – so he too joined the Quarry Men.
There were other band members in those days, but when the musically gifted trio of John, Paul, and George came together, it felt good. There was just one problem: they were all guitarists.
The Beatles Anthology (2000) is the story of the Beatles, told in their own words. Through original and archive interviews, the band and those closest to them recount the tale of their spectacular and influential career.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,000+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trialBlink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma