Book summary

macphersondh · 04-07-2008, 12:59 AM

I tend to buy lots of books in one session and by the time I come round to reading them have often forgotten the substance of the plot.

I suggested to Sony a couple of years ago, that when a book downloads it would be a good idea to also download the summary so the user can decide which book to read at any given time.

I guess I'll have to carry on wishing... as I can't see anyway anyone could develop this feature other than Sony and their reply was "lukewarm" at best.

David.

kovidgoyal · 04-07-2008, 05:25 AM

libprs500 automatically downloads a summary (if available) when you fetch metadata for the books from the internet.

astrodad · 04-09-2008, 01:41 PM

But is that summary available anywhere on the device?

kovidgoyal · 04-10-2008, 01:19 AM

Nope though I could make it so it would be available under the comments section of the LRF file metadata on the device.

astrodad · 04-10-2008, 11:25 AM

That would be really cool. I have the code and I'll try it and compare it to yours, if and when you put it in.

kovidgoyal · 04-11-2008, 09:07 AM

Can you open a ticket for it, I'm not doing any actual development until I return on the 26th, so I'll probably forget otherwise.

Lilly · 04-11-2008, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macphersondh

I tend to buy lots of books in one session and by the time I come round to reading them have often forgotten the substance of the plot.

I suggested to Sony a couple of years ago, that when a book downloads it would be a good idea to also download the summary so the user can decide which book to read at any given time.

I guess I'll have to carry on wishing... as I can't see anyway anyone could develop this feature other than Sony and their reply was "lukewarm" at best.

David.

Funny; I requested the same thing from Sony. It's just ridiculous that e-books don't come with the book summary. I read a lot of fictions and this is a big negative for me.

astrodad · 04-15-2008, 10:55 AM

Created a ticket for it: https://libprs500.kovidgoyal.net/ticket/643

Still would like a way to have it viewable from within the device. I didn't see where the comments are being used now.

badgoodDeb · 04-15-2008, 03:05 PM

Kindle person here, but I agree it would be GREAT to have the plot summary available. (Even if you guys aren't doing it for my Kindle

)

Elsi · 04-15-2008, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macphersondh

I tend to buy lots of books in one session and by the time I come round to reading them have often forgotten the substance of the plot.

David: I do this for myself with swipe/copy/paste from the web site into a text file. If I'm buying a series, I put all the description info (and the sequence in which the books are to be read) into a single text file. When I download books from FeedBooks, I just capture the "list" such as the Allan Quartermain list of books at http://www.feedbooks.com/list/view/7

macphersondh · 04-17-2008, 02:29 AM

That's a good idea Elsi!

In absence of Sony doing anything useful about this, I'll try your solution.

David.

astrodad · 04-17-2008, 12:27 PM

Another option is to create summary files for the books and put them into their own collection on the device. That way when you want to get a summary, just browse to collections and find the summary for the book you want to read. It would be nice if it were automated.

halfsek · 12-21-2008, 09:21 PM

Another option (or, maybe just a different way of saying what jplumey suggested) is to create a "book" with the chapters being the individual summary of you're looking for.

Basically, I made a file in Google Docs with an alphabetical summary of all of my books- Title of book then the summary for it. Then I created a table of contents in Google docs for that file.

Downloaded as .html.

Imported it into Calibre. Used Calibre to covert it into an EPUB file (LRF didn't seem to work). Selected 'forced table of contents.'

And that's it. When the reader opens it, the whole file is considered one book. But the individual summary is considered a chapter. That way you can see the name of the book in the table of contents- allowing you to jump directly to the book you want rather than having to scroll through an ever 'enlargening'

file every time you want to want to find out about a book on your reader.

Then again, if someone has found a way which didn't take them, oh, about 5 hours of trial and error. Just don't laugh too hard at my wasted day.

I have to say Sony, you disappoint me. If the whole idea is to have my library in my reader, then I can't be expected to remember every single book that's in there.

lilac_jive · 12-21-2008, 09:25 PM

I think this is all the publishers, not Sony. If I'm not mistaken, the publishers are the ones who give Sony the books.

If I'm mistaken, please let me know.

04-07-2008, 12:59 AM	#1
macphersondh Enthusiast Posts: 34 Karma: 340 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Seoul, Tokyo, London. Device: Sony PRS505	Book summary I tend to buy lots of books in one session and by the time I come round to reading them have often forgotten the substance of the plot. I suggested to Sony a couple of years ago, that when a book downloads it would be a good idea to also download the summary so the user can decide which book to read at any given time. I guess I'll have to carry on wishing... as I can't see anyway anyone could develop this feature other than Sony and their reply was "lukewarm" at best. David.

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04-07-2008, 05:25 AM	#2
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 44,553 Karma: 24495948 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	libprs500 automatically downloads a summary (if available) when you fetch metadata for the books from the internet.

04-09-2008, 01:41 PM	#3
astrodad Guru Posts: 962 Karma: 568242 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle Oasis 3, Kindle Paperwhite 1, iPad, iPhone	But is that summary available anywhere on the device?

04-10-2008, 01:19 AM	#4
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 44,553 Karma: 24495948 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Nope though I could make it so it would be available under the comments section of the LRF file metadata on the device.

04-10-2008, 11:25 AM	#5
astrodad Guru Posts: 962 Karma: 568242 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle Oasis 3, Kindle Paperwhite 1, iPad, iPhone	That would be really cool. I have the code and I'll try it and compare it to yours, if and when you put it in.

04-11-2008, 09:07 AM	#6
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 44,553 Karma: 24495948 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Can you open a ticket for it, I'm not doing any actual development until I return on the 26th, so I'll probably forget otherwise.

04-15-2008, 10:55 AM	#8
astrodad Guru Posts: 962 Karma: 568242 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle Oasis 3, Kindle Paperwhite 1, iPad, iPhone	Created a ticket for it: https://libprs500.kovidgoyal.net/ticket/643 Still would like a way to have it viewable from within the device. I didn't see where the comments are being used now.

04-15-2008, 03:05 PM	#9
badgoodDeb Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,515 Karma: 64095689 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Harrisburg outskirts Device: Palms, K1-4s, iPads, iPhones, KV, KO1	Kindle person here, but I agree it would be GREAT to have the plot summary available. (Even if you guys aren't doing it for my Kindle )

04-17-2008, 02:29 AM	#11
macphersondh Enthusiast Posts: 34 Karma: 340 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Seoul, Tokyo, London. Device: Sony PRS505	That's a good idea Elsi! In absence of Sony doing anything useful about this, I'll try your solution. David.

04-17-2008, 12:27 PM	#12
astrodad Guru Posts: 962 Karma: 568242 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle Oasis 3, Kindle Paperwhite 1, iPad, iPhone	Another option is to create summary files for the books and put them into their own collection on the device. That way when you want to get a summary, just browse to collections and find the summary for the book you want to read. It would be nice if it were automated.

12-21-2008, 09:21 PM	#13
halfsek Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: San Jose, Ca Device: sony 505	Another option (or, maybe just a different way of saying what jplumey suggested) is to create a "book" with the chapters being the individual summary of you're looking for. Basically, I made a file in Google Docs with an alphabetical summary of all of my books- Title of book then the summary for it. Then I created a table of contents in Google docs for that file. Downloaded as .html. Imported it into Calibre. Used Calibre to covert it into an EPUB file (LRF didn't seem to work). Selected 'forced table of contents.' And that's it. When the reader opens it, the whole file is considered one book. But the individual summary is considered a chapter. That way you can see the name of the book in the table of contents- allowing you to jump directly to the book you want rather than having to scroll through an ever 'enlargening' file every time you want to want to find out about a book on your reader. Then again, if someone has found a way which didn't take them, oh, about 5 hours of trial and error. Just don't laugh too hard at my wasted day. I have to say Sony, you disappoint me. If the whole idea is to have my library in my reader, then I can't be expected to remember every single book that's in there.

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12-21-2008, 09:25 PM	#14
lilac_jive Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,870 Karma: 27376 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Device: PRS-505	I think this is all the publishers, not Sony. If I'm not mistaken, the publishers are the ones who give Sony the books. If I'm mistaken, please let me know.