Eh... It only seems that way in hindsight. AFTER you've read the book, you can read cliffnotes/highlights like this, and it brings back the memories of what you learned when you read the book.<p>But if you try to just read the notes for a book you haven't read yet, I think you'll find the lessons don't really stick without all the supporting stories.<p>(Imagine skipping all the world's great stories, and just reading a list of "the moral of the story is..." for each book.  None would stick.)