See books,
not just read them.
Summaries hand you turn-by-turn directions. MapReads hands you the map — every key idea of a book laid out spatially, so you can scan it in seconds and explore it in minutes.
This is the whole thing, not a mockup.
A map on the left, the book's notes on the right. Tap any idea to open it, mark what you know, and leave a note where it counts — on desktop or a phone.
A list makes you read to the end. A map lets you see it all at once.
Linear summaries flatten a book into paragraphs you walk through in order. A map keeps the structure — which ideas belong together, which branch matters to you, where you already have footing.
Ten paragraphs in a row. You read from the top, hope it sticks, and close the tab. Structure is invisible.
Six branches, nineteen ideas, one glance. Tap a node to go deep — or read it straight through. Structure is the interface.
Explore it, read it, or review it.
Same book, three modes — and everything you mark in one shows up in the others.
Every idea, in one view.
Radial, vertical, or horizontal. Pan, pinch, and collapse branches to find the thread you care about.
- Three layouts, switch anytime
- Pinch-to-zoom on any device
- Collapse a branch to quiet the noise
Or just read the whole thing.
One flowing write-up of every idea in about eight minutes, with a quiet checkmark for what landed and room for a note.
- Full prose, not bullet fragments
- Scroll depth tracks your progress
- Mark it read at the end
Most habits run on autopilot, so the first lever is awareness. Use an implementation intention, then redesign your surroundings so the right behavior is the one staring you in the face.
Bundle a habit you need with one you crave, and join a group where the behavior is already the norm.
The ideas you kept, connected.
Everything you save, know, or annotate collects in one place — then MapReads finds the threads running across different books.
- Cross-book idea threads
- Two-minute review sessions
- Export everything to Markdown
Mapped by editors, not scraped.
Seventeen books fully mapped and a dozen more in production — the nonfiction people actually recommend to each other.
Free to start. Cheap to keep.
Planned pricing for launch. Join the list now and founding rates are locked in — nothing is charged today.
- 3 book maps a month
- All three map layouts
- Read mode, full text
- Notes and marks on one device
- Unlimited maps, whole library
- Cross-book idea threads
- Review sessions & streaks
- Sync across all your devices
- Export notes to Markdown
- New maps every week
- Everything in Reader, for life
- Vote on the next 50 books
- Founding member credit
- Direct line to the maker
Indicative while we're in early access — the list gets first refusal and the lowest rate we ever offer.
Before you sign up.
Is this just another book-summary app?
No — the difference is structure. Summaries give you prose in a fixed order. MapReads keeps the shape of the argument, so you can see which ideas cluster together, jump to the branch that matters to you, and come back later without re-reading the whole thing.
Who writes the maps?
Editors, working book by book. Every branch and idea is distilled by hand and written to stand on its own — no scraped blurbs, no auto-generated filler.
Does it replace reading the book?
It's a map, not a substitute. Use it to decide whether a book deserves your next ten hours, to hold onto what you read months ago, or to get the architecture of an idea you'll never read cover to cover.
Does it work on my phone?
Yes — the map pinches and pans like any map app, and the whole thing installs to your home screen. Read mode is built for a thumb.
When does it open?
The app is built and in private testing right now. Early access opens to the list in waves — you'll get one email when your invite is ready.