Are AI book summaries worth it?

[AION]

The newest models of Claude have improved a lot. It makes almost perfect summaries. I know this because sometimes I read a chapter and then read the summary and it is just perfect. Obviously some books need slow digestion but let's be honest, most books are don't need a slow digestion.

I'm surprised that not more people are doing this. I'm doing it with pop culture books just to get the meat of the book but who says you retain all the information when you read the book anyway? Most books are filled with fluff and nuisance that I forget what the main talking points are in the book.

I'm doing the same with youtube videos. Most guys take 20-40 minutes to just talk about a lousy talking point droning on and on about the same talking point wasting people's time because they think are so special and everybody should listen to them. Just feed it to claude 4.6 and then take that text and feed it to elevenreader (voice mode) and you will have a much fruitful experience.

And the most important point is this, you can't interact with a book or video but you can interact with AI in the sense of asking questions and making remarks. That is how you learn: by interacting with the matter, not just consuming like a drone.

Edited 8 hours ago by AION

[UnbornTao]

To me, a good book deserves some real study. If I want it summarized, then it wasn't that great from the beginning and didn't deserve my time. That said, it depends on the book and what you want to get out of it. If it's simply information you're looking for, then AI is probably a good tool for that.

[SimpleGuy]

If you really wanna learn something, you are better spend intimate time with your book reading, instead of watching or reading summary. 

[AION]

With just reading a book, learning is very shallow. If you really want to learn, you need to be in interaction with it, ask it questions and shit. And a book won´t answer your question. Reading books is for boomers. There is much more effective methods with AI interaction.

Edited 4 hours ago by AION

[Oeaohoo]

1 hour ago, UnbornTao said:

To me, a good book deserves some real study. If I want it summarized, then it wasn't that great from the beginning and didn't deserve my time. That said, it depends on the book and what you want to get out of it. If it's simply information you're looking for, then AI is probably a good tool for that.

I agree with this.

The idea of reducing books to summaries stinks of an unhealthy obsession with productivity and efficiency at the expense of everything else.

28 minutes ago, AION said:

Reading books is for boomers.

Soon people will be saying: “Using words is for stuffy boring Boomers, I’ll stick to my emoticons!”

Edited 4 hours ago by Oeaohoo

[AION]

2 hours ago, Oeaohoo said:

I agree with this.

The idea of reducing books to summaries stinks of an unhealthy obsession with productivity and efficiency at the expense of everything else.

Soon people will be saying: “Using words is for stuffy boring Boomers, I’ll stick to my emoticons!”

Reading a book is very primitive. Do you think people will read books in 100 years? Your boomer habits will die with you. There are much more fruitful and interactive ways of learning than just consuming. Questioning, talking and debating with AI is the way to go. 

[AION]

I mean how much do you retain after a whole ass book? It is not super high. 

[UnbornTao]

Imagine using that method with the Tao Te Ching or something similar. It could be useful but there's something lost in trusting AI and essentially putting responsibility for understanding onto an external agent. It requires a leap of faith that the AI will get the communication right - and with certain books, it may fail spectacularly. There are books that are meant to be studied and contemplated, not just read. 

[gettoefl]

Do I want the product or the process. Depends on the day of the week.

[Oeaohoo]

1 hour ago, AION said:

Reading a book is very primitive. Do you think people will read books in 100 years? Your boomer habits will die with you. There are much more fruitful and interactive ways of learning than just consuming. Questioning, talking and debating with AI is the way to go. 

I hope you are tied up high up in the mountains and an eagle pecks away at your liver for all eternity.