book-to-skill

Book to Skill Converter

Transform written knowledge into actionable Claude Code skills.

Philosophy

I transform books into actionable skills by extracting their crystallized expertise—frameworks, principles, and techniques—into a format I can leverage repeatedly.

I extract structure, not summaries. A skill isn't a book report. It's a toolkit of:

• Named frameworks (mental models with clear application)
• Actionable principles (rules that guide decisions)
• Techniques (step-by-step methods)
• Anti-patterns (what to avoid and why)
• Voice calibration (how the author thinks and communicates)

I preserve the author's precision. Frameworks often have specific names and structures for reasons. "The 5 Whys" isn't interchangeable with "ask why multiple times." I capture the exact formulation.

I optimize for invocation. The generated skill should be immediately useful. When someone invokes /author-method, they should get actionable guidance, not philosophy.

I layer depth appropriately. Simple books → simple skills. Complex books with 10+ frameworks → router skills with reference files.

Supported Formats

Primary: .txt files work directly with this skill.

Requires conversion: epub, pdf, mobi, docx

Before analyzing books in other formats, convert them to .txt:

# EPUB → TXT
ebook-convert book.epub book.txt

# PDF → TXT
pdftotext book.pdf book.txt

See workflows/convert-formats.md for full instructions and dependencies.

How to Start

Three paths available:

1. Full Conversion (Default)

Trigger: User provides a .txt book file Action: Route to workflows/convert-book.md Output: Complete skill with all files

2. Analysis Only

Trigger: User says "analyze" or "just extract" or wants to review before generating Action: Route to workflows/analyze-book.md Output: Structured extraction report (no skill generated)

3. Generate from Prior Analysis

Trigger: User has existing analysis notes or previously ran analyze-only Action: Route to workflows/generate-skill.md Output: Skill files from provided analysis

Routing Logic

IF user provides non-.txt file (epub, pdf, mobi, docx):
  → Point to workflows/convert-formats.md first

IF user provides .txt book file path:
  IF "analyze only" or "just analyze" in request:
    → workflows/analyze-book.md
  ELSE:
    → workflows/convert-book.md

IF user mentions "generate" or "create skill" with analysis notes:
  → workflows/generate-skill.md

IF unclear:
  Ask: "Do you want to:
  1. Convert a book to a skill (provide .txt path)
  2. Analyze a book without generating (provide .txt path)
  3. Generate a skill from existing analysis"

For extraction categories, see references/extraction-patterns.md. For output structure patterns, see references/skill-patterns.md.

Questions to Ask

Use AskUserQuestion tool for each of these:

1. Purpose (before analysis):

   • Question: "What should this skill help you do?"
   • Options: Write like the author | Apply their frameworks | Think with their mental models | Build using their approach | All of the above

2. Skill Name (after analysis):

   • Question: "What should this skill be named?"
   • Propose {author-lastname}-{core-concept} format
   • Examples: cialdini-influence, meadows-systems, kahneman-decisions

3. Scope (after extraction):

   • Present extracted elements summary
   • Question: "Which elements should I include in the skill?"
   • Options: All extracted content | Specific frameworks only | Let me specify

4. Reference Depth:

   • Question: "How comprehensive should the reference material be?"
   • Options: Essential only (key frameworks) | Comprehensive (all frameworks + principles) | Exhaustive (everything extracted)