# Book Summary Prompt for Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM)

> A NotebookLM prompt for book summaries: chapter by chapter, then the thesis, big ideas, hidden assumptions and quotes kept word for word with their chapter.

https://www.kortex-notebooklm.com/prompts/book-summary

[All prompts](/prompts)

# Book Summary Prompt for Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM)

By **Juli** Updated Oct 26, 2026

This book summary prompt for Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) works in two passes: first every chapter in a few lines with one quote worth keeping, then the book as a whole, from its central thesis to what the author takes for granted. Add the book as a source, tick only that source and paste the prompt. A single source can hold up to 500,000 words, so most books fit in one.

## The book summary prompt

```
Summarize the book in the selected source, chapter by chapter, then as a whole.

Part 1. For each chapter:
- the chapter title
- its main argument in 2 sentences
- the best example or story it uses
- one quote worth keeping, word for word

Part 2. The whole book:
- the central thesis in one sentence
- the 5 big ideas, each with why it matters
- what the author assumes without proving
- who should read it and who can skip it
- 3 things a reader could try or test after reading

Use only the book. Keep quotes exact and mark each one with its chapter.
```

## When to use it

Use it after you finish a nonfiction book and want notes you will actually reread, or before a book club, a review or a talk that cites it. It also works as a preview: run Part 2 on its own to decide whether a book deserves a full read. For very long books, ask for Part 1 in two halves (“chapters 1 to 8”, then “chapters 9 to 16”) so no chapter gets squeezed.

## What it returns

A chapter list you can skim in a few minutes, each entry with its argument, its best example and a quote with the chapter marked. Then a one-page view of the book: the thesis, the five ideas worth keeping and an honest note on what the author never proves. Check any quote you plan to reuse against the text, since a quote is only useful if it is exact.

That is a reading note for one book. Keep the prompt, and every book after it takes one click.

Turn every book you read into the same tidy notes

Kortex adds a Prompts button to Gemini Notebook: save this prompt once and insert it into the chat whenever you finish a book. The free plan keeps 10 prompts; Pro has no limit. Free on Chrome.

[Add Kortex to Chrome, free](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/kortex/hdapplggdhndkblofffknpmnnnnbncbn)[See the prompt library](/features#templates)

## Variations

**Fiction.** Swap the argument for story.

```
Summarize the novel in the selected source: the plot in 6 to 8 sentences without hiding the ending, the main characters and how each one changes, the 3 central themes with a scene that shows each, and 3 quotes word for word with their chapter.
```

**One-page summary.** When you only need the essentials.

```
Summarize the selected book on one page: the thesis in one sentence, the 5 big ideas in one line each, the strongest piece of evidence, the weakest claim, and one quote word for word with its chapter.
```

**Book club questions.** For running a discussion.

```
Write 10 discussion questions about the selected book for a book club. Mix questions about the ideas, the evidence and readers' own experience. Under each question, cite the chapter or passage it comes from.
```

For shorter material such as reports or articles, the [summary prompt](/prompts/summarize) ranks the points for your goal instead of going chapter by chapter.

Keep a prompt for every kind of book

Save the nonfiction, fiction and book club prompts in one Kortex folder and pick the right one in a click. Kortex only stores and inserts the prompt; Gemini Notebook does the reading from your source.

[Add Kortex to Chrome, free](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/kortex/hdapplggdhndkblofffknpmnnnnbncbn)[Browse all prompts](/prompts)

## More research prompts

-   [Literature review synthesis](/prompts/literature-review)
-   [Research paper breakdown](/prompts/research-paper)
-   [Summary you can act on](/prompts/summarize)
-   [All prompts](/prompts)

## Give your notebooks a home.

Install Kortex in under a minute. It works inside the Gemini Notebook you already use, free forever for the basics.

[Add to Chrome](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/kortex/hdapplggdhndkblofffknpmnnnnbncbn) [Read the docs](/docs)

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