Book Deep Reader

Deep-read a book and produce teaching-quality notes with critical evaluation and action guidance. Use when: (1) user wants to quickly learn and understand a book's knowledge system, (2) user needs accurate extraction of a book's core ideas to teach others, (3) user provides book title/author/ISBN and asks for a structured reading guide or summary, (4) user wants to verify their understanding of a book against original sources, (5) user wants critical evaluation of a book's value and limitations, (6) user wants cross-disciplinary insights and actionable takeaways. Supports Chinese and English books. Outputs a comprehensive .md file with knowledge framework, chapter details, core principles, practical cases, teaching materials, AND critical evaluation with action plans.

Produce teaching-quality book notes: accurate on the original, structured for quick learning, detailed enough to explain to others.

Workflow

Phase 1: Identify the Book

Given a book (title, author, ISBN, or URL), gather foundational info:

1. Search for the book using mimo_web_search — find Douban/Goodreads pages, publisher descriptions, table of contents, reviews
2. Fetch key pages using web_fetch — Douban book page (ISBN lookup), publisher pages, review articles
3. Identify: book structure (chapters), core framework/model, key cases, author's background
4. For companion/sequel books: also fetch the original book's wiki/summary to cross-reference (e.g., Reinventing Organizations Wiki for the practice guide)
5. Identify the book's central question: What problem is the author trying to solve? Why does it matter?

Phase 2: Deep Research

Gather rich source material from authoritative references:

1. Official wiki/community sites (if they exist) — e.g., reinventingorganizationswiki.com
2. Detailed reviews and analysis articles — not just "good book!" but substantive breakdowns
3. Author's talks/interviews — YouTube transcripts, keynote summaries
4. Case study databases — for books with organizational/practice cases
5. Academic context research — what predecessors have done on this topic
6. Comparative analysis — other books on the same topic with different viewpoints
7. Critical reviews — challenges, limitations, controversies

Search strategy (use mimo_web_search):

• "<book title>" 目录 章节 内容 (for Chinese books)
• "<English title>" summary chapters key concepts
• "author name" "<key concept>" detailed explanation
• site:douban.com <ISBN> or site:goodreads.com <title>
• "<book title>" 批评 局限性 争议 (for critical reviews)
• "<book title>" 对比 同类书籍 不同观点 (for comparative analysis)
• "<topic>" 研究进展 前人研究 学术脉络 (for academic context)

Fetch at least 5-8 authoritative sources. Prioritize:

• Table of contents and chapter structure
• The book's own conceptual framework (models, diagrams, key distinctions)
• Detailed case studies with data
• Author's direct quotes and key formulations
• Academic positioning and predecessor research
• Critical reviews and challenges
• Comparative analysis with similar books

Phase 3: Knowledge Extraction (5-Layer Analysis)

Extract knowledge through 5 layers, from surface to depth:

Layer 1 — Structure: What is the book's architecture?

• Chapter outline with one-line purpose per chapter
• How chapters connect (sequential? parallel? recursive?)
• Visual map of the book's flow

Layer 2 — Core Framework: What is the book's central model/theory?

• The 1-3 core concepts that everything else builds on
• Key distinctions the author makes (e.g., X vs. Y)
• The "before and after" transformation the book describes

Layer 3 — Chapter Details: What does each chapter teach?

• Core question the chapter answers
• Key knowledge points (3-7 per chapter)
• Practical cases with concrete data
• Actionable insights ("how to do this")

Layer 4 — Depth Mechanisms: Why do these ideas work?

• Underlying assumptions (what must be true for this to work)
• Causal logic (A leads to B because...)
• Counter-arguments and how the author addresses them
• Limitations and boundary conditions

Layer 5 — Teaching Materials: How to explain this to someone else?

• Core quotes / memorable formulations
• Analogies and metaphors the author uses
• Data/evidence for responding to skepticism
• Common misunderstandings and corrections

Phase 4: Cross-Reference and Verify

Before writing the final output:

1. Cross-check with original sources: Every claim must trace back to an authoritative source (the book itself, the author's wiki, verified reviews)
2. Flag uncertainty: If a detail cannot be verified, note it as "based on secondary sources" or omit it
3. Check for omissions: Compare against the table of contents — are all chapters covered?
4. Check for consistency: Do the chapter-level details support the overall framework? Are there contradictions?

Phase 5: Generate Output

Write the output as a .md file in the workspace. Follow the structure in references/output-template.md.

Key quality standards:

• Accuracy over creativity: Never invent content. If unsure, search again or state the limitation
• Specific over general: Include concrete examples, numbers, names, quotes — not just abstract descriptions
• Structured for skimming AND deep reading: Headers, tables, and visual maps for quick scanning; detailed prose for deep understanding
• Teaching-ready: Someone should be able to read this file and explain the book to others without having read the book itself

Phase 6: Critical Evaluation (New)

After completing the 5-layer knowledge extraction, conduct a critical evaluation:

1. Core Question Identification

• What is the author's central question/problem?
• Why is this question important?

2. Academic Context Positioning

• What have predecessors achieved on this question?
• Where does this book fit in the academic conversation?

3. Innovation Assessment

• What unique, new answers does the author provide?
• What new evidence, cases, or data support these answers?

4. Comparative Analysis

• What different viewpoints exist from contemporary books on the same topic?
• How does this book's approach differ?

5. Critical Review

• Has the book's conclusions been challenged?
• What are its limitations and boundary conditions?

6. Future Directions

• What new problems and directions does the author propose?
• What remains unresolved?

7. Cross-disciplinary Insights

• What启发 can practitioners from other fields draw?
• How can these ideas be applied outside the book's domain?

8. Most Inspiring Story/Case

• Which single story or case is most memorable and impactful?
• Why does it resonate?

9. Actionable Takeaway

• What is ONE action the reader should take after reading?
• How to implement it immediately?

Output File

Save to workspace as <book-short-name>-读书笔记.md (Chinese) or <book-short-name>-notes.md (English).

Quality Checklist

Before finalizing, verify:

• All chapters covered with key points
• Core framework/model clearly articulated
• At least 3 detailed case studies with data
• Author's key quotes included
• Common misconceptions addressed
• Practical "how to start" guidance included
• Sources cited (wiki, reviews, publisher pages)
• No invented or unverified content
• Can be used to teach the book without reading it
• Critical evaluation section completed (all 9 questions answered)
• Actionable takeaway identified with implementation steps
• Cross-disciplinary insights clearly articulated