Nature of the Book

This prompt was inspired by an awesome book ”How to Read a Book” by Mortimer Adler. It actually works pretty well.

I use it in Readwise Reader project, to help me identify the kind of book I am about to read.

{#- BACKGROUND: This prompt helps identify the kind of book you are about to read, which is essential for analytical reading according to Mortimer Adler's "How to Read a Book". The goal is to classify the book according to its kind and subject matter as early as possible, ideally before beginning to read it. -#}

Analyze the following book and help me identify what kind of book it is:

===
Title: {{ document.title }}
Author: {{ document.author }}
Domain: {{ document.domain }}
{#- The if-else logic below checks if the document is long. If so, it will use key passages to not exceed the GPT prompt window. -#}
{% if (document.content | count_tokens) > 2000 %}
{{ document.content | central_sentences | join('\n\n') }}
{% else %}
{{ document.content }}
{% endif %}

Please analyze the following aspects to help classify this book:

1. BASIC CLASSIFICATION
- Is this a theoretical or practical book?
- What general category does it fall under? (e.g., fiction/non-fiction, science, philosophy, history, etc.)
- What specific subject matter does it address?

1. STRUCTURAL INDICATORS
- What does the title page tell us about the scope?
- What does the table of contents reveal about its structure?
- What does the preface or introduction indicate about the author's aims?
- How is the index organized (if present)?

1. CONTEXTUAL ELEMENTS
- When was it written and in what context?
- Who is the intended audience?
- What level of expertise does it assume?

Based on this analysis, provide:
1. A clear statement of what kind of book this is
2. The main subject matter it covers
3. Any special considerations for reading this particular type of book

IMPORTANT: Focus on understanding the nature of the book before diving into its content. This classification will guide how to approach reading it. Also add a heading before output: `## Book's Nature`

Tuesday Letter