As an avid reader and AI enthusiast, I’m always looking for ways to get the key insights from a book quickly without having to read cover to cover. That’s why I was so excited when ChatGPT came along with its uncanny ability to generate summaries. In this article, I’ll share my top prompts for getting ChatGPT to summarize non-fiction books.
Whether you’re short on time, need to prepare for a book club, or just want the cliff notes version before diving deeper, ChatGPT can deliver an accurate and concise summary tailored to your needs. And with a few tweaks to the prompt, you can even get it to focus on specific topics or themes. Let’s dive in!
Why ChatGPT for Summarizing Books?
ChatGPT has read more books than any human could in multiple lifetimes. Its knowledge comes from ingesting millions of online articles, papers, and books. So when prompted correctly, it can analyze key details and themes before regurgitating the most salient points.
The benefits of using ChatGPT for summarization include:
- Saves reading time while still extracting key ideas
- Surface level understanding to decide if you want to read the full book
- Identify themes and concepts covered without reading the whole thing
- Great for preparing for book club discussions
- Refresh your memory on a book you read long ago
Of course, ChatGPT should never replace reading. But it can enhance your reading and learning experience.
Crafting the Perfect Prompt
Getting a great summary requires fine-tuning your prompt. Here are some tips:
Specify What You Want
Clearly state that you want a summary and how long it should be:
Provide a 300-word summary of the non-fiction book [Title] by [Author].Without clear instructions, ChatGPT may give you a laundry list of topics rather than a cohesive summary.
Set the Tone and Style
Do you want an academic recap or a casual overview?
Summarize the key ideas from [Title] in a conversational tone as if explaining to a friend.Outline the Structure
Tell ChatGPT exactly how to structure the summary:
Summarize the key themes and ideas from [Title] in a three paragraph summary with an intro, body, and conclusion. Give Additional Context
The more background you provide, the better the summary:
[Title] by [Author] is a non-fiction book on [topic]. Before summarizing, briefly explain the author's background and credentials. Prompt Examples and Samples
Let’s look at some real prompt examples for summarizing different kinds of books:
Overall Summary
Please write a 250-word plain language, neutral summary of the key points in Yuval Noah Harari's book "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind." Focus on the core arguments related to the cognitive, agricultural, and scientific revolutions in human history.This prompt asks for a condensed summary of a history book, focused on key themes.
Chapter by Chapter
Please provide an 80-word summary for each chapter of the book "Deep Work" by Cal Newport. Summarize the key points and takeaways from each chapter in your own words. Use bullet points and include the chapter name/number with each summary.A great way to digest dense non-fiction books is to get chapter-level summaries from ChatGPT.
Summary with Examples
Please summarize the book "Influence" by Robert Cialdini in under 500 words. For each of Cialdini's 6 key principles of influence, give a 2-3 sentence summary and provide a real-world example of that principle in action.Asking ChatGPT to include examples in a summary adds clarity and helps reinforce the core concepts.
Tips for the Best Summaries
Follow these best practices when prompting ChatGPT for book summaries:
Be Specific
Clearly state you want a summary and tell ChatGPT:
- Exact word count
- How many paragraphs/sections
- Writing style and tone
Provide Context
Give background on the:
- Author
- Book’s purpose
- Core topics and themes
Request Examples
Ask ChatGPT to give real-world examples of the concepts discussed.
Seek Clarification
If the summary is unclear or misses key points, re-prompt for clarity.
Next Level Summaries
If you want to take your ChatGPT summarization to the next level:
Compare With Other Sources
Have ChatGPT summarize a book, then re-summarize based on other analyses you provide. This surfaces biases and fills in gaps.
Identify Meaningful Passages
Ask ChatGPT to highlight the most meaningful excerpts from a book to explain its importance. This reveals the essence of the content.
Relate to Current Events
Prompt ChatGPT to relate the key messages to present day issues. This makes the content more relevant.
Conclusion
Whether you need a quick overview or an in-depth analysis, ChatGPT is an invaluable tool for extracting insights from non-fiction books. With well-structured prompts focused on specifics like word count, writing style, and level of detail, you can get an impressively accurate summary.
What prompts have you tried for summarizing books with ChatGPT? I’d love to hear what’s worked well so I can continue to refine my approach!