Sundar Pichai Just Revealed the Books That Shaped How He Thinks. I Tried to Read Them All in 30 Days.
Sundar Pichai doesn't confine his reading to business and technology. According to a recent list of his recommendations, the man running one of the most powerful companies on Earth reaches for memoirs, scientific research, and lessons on mentorship just as often as he reaches for anything about tech. The books aren't there to make him look well-read. They're there to sharpen how he makes decisions.
That distinction stuck with me. I don't run a trillion-dollar company, but I do make decisions all day — about work, about how I spend my time, about which ten browser tabs I actually need open. If a list of books could sharpen that for Pichai, I wanted to know what was actually in it.
Three titles from his list stopped me: a memoir about growing up in apartheid South Africa, a startup playbook that rewired how founders build products, and a business book about the coach who quietly shaped half of Silicon Valley's leadership. I didn't have time to read all three cover to cover. So I downloaded an app called Blinkist and gave myself 30 days to get through them anyway. Here's what happened.
Even Apple recommends Blinkist for those who are lifelong learners, naming it one of the best apps in the world. And Apple CEO Tim Cook — himself a Blinkist user — even stopped by the Berlin office to see what the fuss was about.
Blinkist gathers the key insights from nonfiction books into 15-minute reads and listens. There are over 9,000 titles across 27 categories including entrepreneurship, management and leadership, and personal development.
More than 43 million people are now expanding their horizons with Blinkist. The app is loved by everyone from The New York Times to Forbes.
"Blinkist encourages you to read more nonfiction books. The app contains cleverly written digests — called blinks — where books are broken down into their main arguments." – The New York Times
So, what did I actually find after 30 days of reading Pichai's picks through Blinkist?
1. Three Books, Explained in 15 Minutes Each, And I Mean Actually 15 Minutes
The first thing I noticed: it takes the average person 10 hours to read a book. Multiplied by three — the memoir, startup guide, and leadership book Pichai recommends, Born a Crime, The Lean Startup, and Trillion Dollar Coach — that's a week I didn't have. What I did have was a 14-minute commute and a habit of staring at my phone during it.
With Blinkist, the most powerful ideas from a book are shared in short audio and text explainers. It only takes 15 minutes to read or listen to them — so I started doing one every morning on the way to work. Breakfast, commute, walking the dog. Suddenly a reading list that would have taken me a month took me a week.
Plus, there are 40 new titles added to the app every month, so even the most voracious reader will never run out of great content.
2. It's Backed By Science — Which Is Why It Actually Sticks
I'll be honest: I was skeptical that a 15-minute summary could replace a full book, especially one as layered as a memoir about growing up under apartheid. But by the time I got through Born a Crime, I was retaining things. Ideas from what I'd listened to on Monday were showing up in conversations on Thursday.
That's not an accident. At Blinkist, there's a dedicated team of experts who sift through the millions of books published each year to find the best ones out there. Not just bestsellers — the hidden gems, the timeless classics, the books written for intellectuals, by intellectuals.
'When we started most apps were for social media or gaming. We wanted to do something different and build an app that would add genuine value to someone's life' — Holger Seim, Blinkist co-founder.
Once the books are selected, our specialist editors identify the key insights in each book and turn them into bite-sized explainers. The best part? All of the content is created using neuroscientific principles making all the information easy to understand and remember.
Take a look — here's the explainer to Trevor Noah's memoir, one of Pichai's picks.
Born a Crime
- 18 min reading time
- audio version available
3. It Killed My Doomscrolling — Without Me Even Trying
Around the time I started The Lean Startup, I noticed something I hadn't planned for. I'd stopped reaching for Instagram in the gaps. Not because I forced myself — but because Blinkist had quietly taken that slot.
You know those moments when you catch yourself endlessly swiping through social media? It's something an alarmingly high amount of people suffer from and it's called "doom-scrolling", a phenomenon that leaves people feeling tired and angry.
What happened to me is apparently common. 80% of Blinkist users say they are more likely to spend time on Blinkist than scroll through social media. The idle minutes that used to disappear into a feed were now going somewhere I actually felt good about. Here's what some of them are saying:
"This app should be in Essentials category: One of the best app purchased. I have been a member for 6+ years and I don't think I will ever stop. This is a learning experience that truly enhances my life." –5 star review on the Apple Store
So, say goodbye to mindless scrolling and hello to a new habit that'll feed your curiosity, spark intellectual growth, and help you become a better you. No wonder Apple and many of its users recommend it:
"This has been the biggest boost to my productivity / lifelong learning ever. Honestly, I can't think of a better habit to start than Blinkist." –5 star review on the Apple Store
4. The Audio Feature Changed Everything for Me
By the time I reached Trillion Dollar Coach, I'd shifted almost entirely to audio. I was listening while making coffee, during my commute, on a walk at lunch. That's when it struck me: Pichai didn't build his reading list to impress anyone at a dinner party. He built it to think better, in whatever pockets of time a CEO's schedule actually allows. I wasn't sitting down with a book for three hours. But I was absorbing lessons on mentorship and team culture while doing the dishes. That's the same idea, scaled to my life.
The app became particularly popular when the audio feature was introduced. It made it possible for big thinkers to listen to every title in the app, which means learning never has to wait until you have time to sit down.
Today, listening is the most popular way to consume the packs of actionable insights, with around 70% of users opting to listen to Blinkist. This is no surprise — over 30% of people learn and retain information better when it's heard rather than read.
5. I'm Not the Only One Who Noticed a Difference
I thought my experience might be a fluke. Then I looked at the reviews. Blinkist has over 94K five-star ratings across iTunes and Google Play stores — and the pattern in what people write is remarkably consistent. It's not "great app." It's specific moments, specific habits, specific slots in the day that changed.
"Perfect for populating your mind with smart thoughts and the latest research. I use the audio format while in transportation." – 5-star review
"Very informative and insightful. I can cook dinner and enjoy the knowledge over audio." – 5-star review
6. I Started Buying Fewer Books — and Reading More of Them
Here's something I didn't expect: by the end of the 30 days, my actual book-buying had changed. Pichai's list is famously eclectic — memoirs, biographies, startup theory, mentorship — and I'd always assumed a list like that meant a shelf full of half-finished commitments. Blinkist fixed that.
With 15-minute explainers, I could take a book for a test drive before committing. The Lean Startup grabbed me enough that I bought the full book afterward. Others, I got what I needed and moved on — no guilt, no unread stack.
"I've found that if a book is still interesting after reading the highlights I end up buying the book anyway. I now buy half as many, the ones I do buy are higher quality and more impactful."– @DaleyErvin
Not only does this save people money buying books they never read, but it saves them time, too — as every book they do buy is one they know they'll get a lot out of.
"Blinkist has helped me read more — period. I love that I can get the key learnings from 10+ books a week, and immediately implement them in my own life. Blinkist has also helped me filter the books I purchase — if I couldn't get enough of the Book-in-Blinks, I buy it." – Hitha Palepu, entrepreneur, author and Blinkist user
7. Then I Found Out Apple Thinks It's One of the Best Apps in the World
Halfway through my experiment, I mentioned Blinkist to a colleague and she said: "Oh, Apple recommends that one." I looked it up.
"Blinkist is one of the world's best apps." – Apple
Blinkist has won numerous major awards from Apple, Google, and even the United Nations. It's loved by everyone from The New York Times to Forbes, along with its millions of users.
What's more, Apple recommends Blinkist for those who love to learn. The tech giant named Blinkist one of the top 20 apps for lifelong learners.
The app is a favorite among book lovers who use Blinkist to keep their minds sharp and discover new titles.
8. The Moment I Realized I'd Actually Built a Habit
Around day 25, I noticed I was reaching for Blinkist without thinking about it. Not because I'd set a reminder or made a rule — but because the slot was there and the habit had filled it. Pichai's list gave me a starting point. Blinkist gave me a way to actually finish it.
Curious people are drawn to Blinkist because they know they can quickly access the knowledge they want — exactly when they need it. This no-fuss, no-stress approach to learning removes the time and strain that might otherwise go into research.
"Blinkist is a lens to kick off thinking, a surveying tool. I can, for example, quickly review a few of the best books on negotiation." – Adam Gries, Founder of OKpanda
9. The People Behind It Actually Care About What They're Building
Many people find out about Blinkist by hearing about the inner workings of the company itself. It's proven itself a great place to work with a unique company culture. LinkedIn named Blinkist the best startup employer in Germany and 95% of its employees on Glassdoor would recommend the company to a friend.
Employees love the startup's culture and feel like they're taken care of. This has led to a low attrition rate where staff has stuck around for the long run to help make the app even better.
"I moved to Berlin after living in New York City for ten years to work at Blinkist. I knew I would be working alongside some amazing people, building a revolutionary product. This, mixed with an exciting new culture and the way of life Berlin offers, made the move an easy decision." – Carlos Alvarado, Country Manager at Blinkist
10. 30 Days Later: A CEO's Reading List, Actually Finished
Pichai's picks weren't chosen to be impressive on a shelf — they were chosen to build a way of thinking: resilience under pressure, discipline in building something new, and the quiet skill of coaching people well. After 30 days with Blinkist, I'd actually gotten through all three, instead of leaving them on a nightstand the way I usually do.
The United Nations recognized Blinkist as a Global Leader in Learning and Education — and I get why. It doesn't ask you to become a different person with a different schedule. It just quietly gives you a way to finish what you started.
"With Blinkist you can boost your knowledge and gain new perspectives so that you can be a better professional, a better partner, or a better you—and finally get through your book list or make sense of the increasingly big and busy world of ideas." – United Nations
With a community of 43 million people located across the world — from tech entrepreneurs to full-time parents to top CEOs — Blinkist has a loyal fanbase of users who are all discovering powerful ideas in nonfiction books on the app. I'm one of them now. Download the Blinkist app now and join the 43 million curious thinkers who also love to learn.
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The Blinkist editorial team
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What is Blinkist?
Blinkist is an app that transforms key insights from great nonfiction books into quick, easy-to-understand highlights. The reality is – everyone loves reading, but no one has the time. Blinkist fills this learning gap and makes acquiring new knowledge effortless.
