How I 'read' Leo's entire book list in a day

[Staples]

Use Chat GPT 4. 

Here's the prompt: 'Can you summarize (book name) by (author)? Summarize each chapter individually with multiple bullet points.'

I find this quite handy for the more intellectual and self-helpy books. But stuff like Carlos Casteneda's work are still best read properly.

---

You could do this with your college textbooks, research papers, whatever. I find amount of time you can save by using chat gpt beats missing any specific details from the books. You can even ask it follow up questions...

[Nilsi]

"Can you summarize Sex, Ecology, Spirituality by Ken Wilber? Summarize each chapter individually with multiple bullet points" - no wonder Chat-GPT takes forever to load nowadays.

[Girzo]

@Staples isn't it still just hallucinating answers? Or has something changed with the 4th version?

 

[OBEler]

@Girzo it's less hallucinating with chatgpt 4 but still

[CARDOZZO]

@Nilsi

Thanks for the input.

I've done for the book "Mastery by George Leonard".

Output:

 

Chapter 1: The Master's Journey

• Mastery is a journey, not a destination.
• The journey is long and requires patience and dedication.
• To achieve mastery, you need to love the journey and embrace the challenges.

 

Chapter 2: The Master

• The master is someone who has achieved a high level of skill in a particular field.
• Mastery is not just about skill, but also about character and spirit.
• Masters have a beginner's mind and are always learning and growing.

 

Chapter 3: The Ideal Master

• The ideal master is a combination of different qualities, including discipline, compassion, and wisdom.
• Discipline is the foundation of mastery and requires daily practice and commitment.
• Compassion and wisdom are important for guiding and inspiring others.

 

Chapter 4: Training

• Training is the key to mastery and requires a specific approach.
• The approach involves setting goals, developing a practice, and seeking feedback.
• The practice should be both challenging and enjoyable.

 

Chapter 5: The Edge

• The edge is the place where you are constantly challenged and pushed beyond your comfort zone.
• The edge is where growth and mastery happen.
• To stay on the edge, you need to embrace failure and learn from it.

 

Chapter 6: The Mentor

• A mentor is someone who has achieved mastery and can guide and support you on your journey.
• A mentor can help you navigate the challenges and pitfalls of mastery.
• Finding a mentor requires openness and a willingness to learn.

 

Chapter 7: Zen and the Art of Archery

• Zen principles can be applied to the pursuit of mastery.
• Zen emphasizes the importance of being present in the moment and focusing on the task at hand.
• Zen also emphasizes the importance of non-attachment and letting go of ego.

 

Chapter 8: The Authentic Swing

• Mastery requires finding your authentic style and approach.
• To find your authentic style, you need to let go of imitation and embrace experimentation.
• Your authentic style should be a reflection of your unique personality and spirit.

 

Chapter 9: Creative Incubation

• Mastery requires periods of incubation and reflection.
• Incubation involves taking a break from active practice and letting your ideas percolate.
• Incubation can lead to breakthroughs and new insights.

 

Chapter 10: The Practice of No-Mind

• The practice of no-mind involves letting go of conscious thought and allowing your body and intuition to guide you.
• No-mind is important for achieving flow and peak performance.
• No-mind requires a combination of discipline and surrender.

 

Chapter 11: The Inner Game

• The inner game is the mental aspect of mastery.
• The inner game involves managing your thoughts, emotions, and beliefs.
• To win the inner game, you need to cultivate awareness, focus, and positive self-talk.

 

Chapter 12: The Master and the Teacher

• Mastery involves both the pursuit of personal excellence and the desire to share your knowledge and experience with others.
• Teaching can be a powerful way to deepen your own understanding and learning.
• To be an effective teacher, you need to have a deep understanding of your subject and a compassionate approach to others.

[Jacob Morres]

anyone wanna split chatgpt4 with me? it's only avail for plus members -$20/month 

Edited March 19, 2023 by Jacob Morres

[zurew]

8 hours ago, Nilsi said:

"Can you summarize Sex, Ecology, Spirituality by Ken Wilber? Summarize each chapter individually with multiple bullet points" - no wonder Chat-GPT takes forever to load nowadays.

This was summarized by bing AI, and I have no idea how much of this is made up bullshit, because I haven't read this giant book.

Quote

The Web of Life

• Wilber argues that modern naturalism fails to account for the complexity and diversity of life
• He proposes a four-quadrant model of reality that includes individual and collective, interior and exterior dimensions
• He traces the evolution of consciousness through different levels or waves, from matter to body to mind to soul to spirit
• He criticizes reductionism, dualism, and monism as inadequate worldviews that distort our understanding of reality
• He advocates for an integral approach that honors all perspectives and dimensions of existence

The Pattern That Connects

• Wilber explores the concept of holons, which are entities that are both wholes and parts of larger wholes
• He explains how holons form nested hierarchies or holarchies that reflect increasing complexity and depth
• He identifies ten principles or laws that govern the behavior and development of holons
• He applies these principles to various domains such as biology, psychology, sociology, ecology, spirituality, etc.
• He shows how these principles can help us appreciate the beauty and harmony of the kosmos

Individual and Social

• Wilber examines the relationship between individual and social holons, which he calls agency and communion
• He argues that both agency and communion are essential for healthy development and evolution
• He distinguishes between premodern, modern, and postmodern views on individuality and society
• He criticizes premodern views for being authoritarian and oppressive, modern views for being atomistic and alienating, postmodern views for being relativistic and nihilistic
• He suggests a post-postmodern view that integrates agency and communion in a balanced way

A View from Within

• Wilber introduces the concept of vision-logic, which is a mode of cognition that transcends and includes rationality
• He explains how vision-logic can integrate multiple perspectives and levels of reality in a coherent way
• He contrasts vision-logic with formal logic, which is limited by binary oppositions and linear causality
• He also contrasts vision-logic with postmodern deconstruction, which is skeptical of any grand narratives or universal truths
• He argues that vision-logic is necessary for an integral approach that can embrace both diversity and unity

The Emergence of Human Nature

• Wilber explores the evolution of human nature from prepersonal to personal to transpersonal stages
• He describes each stage as having its own worldview, values, needs, motivations, pathologies, etc.
• He clarifies that each stage is not a fixed state but a dynamic process that can be revisited and integrated
• He also clarifies that each stage is not a moral judgment but a developmental potential that can be actualized or inhibited
• He shows how understanding the stages of human nature can help us appreciate our own growth and development

Magic, Mythic, and Beyond

• Wilber focuses on the first three stages of human nature: magic, mythic, and rational
• He explains how each stage represents a different way of relating to reality: magic is pre-rational and animistic, mythic is pre-rational and religious, rational is rational and scientific
• He analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of each stage: magic is creative but egocentric, mythic is meaningful but ethnocentric, rational is objective but mechanistic
• He also analyzes the conflicts and interactions between these stages: magic clashes with mythic, mythic clashes with rational, rational clashes with both magic and mythic
• He suggests that beyond these stages lies a trans-rational stage that can integrate magic, mythic, and rational in a higher synthesis

The Further Reaches of Human Nature

• Wilber discusses the transpersonal stages of human nature: psychic, subtle, causal, and nondual
• He explains how each stage represents a different way of experiencing reality: psychic is intuitive and synchronistic, subtle is visionary and archetypal, causal is formless and transcendental, nondual is unitive and immanent
• He analyzes the characteristics and challenges of each stage: psychic is insightful but confusing, subtle is ecstatic but dualistic, causal is blissful but detached, nondual is liberating but rare
• He also analyzes the relationships and transitions between these stages: psychic opens to subtle, subtle opens to causal, causal opens to nondual, nondual embraces all stages
• He suggests that beyond these stages lies a superconscious stage that can integrate psychic, subtle, causal, and nondual in a higher harmony

The Depths of the Divine

• Wilber explores the concept of God or Spirit as the ultimate source and goal of evolution
• He distinguishes between different aspects of God: Godhead as the absolute ground of being, God as the personal creator and sustainer of existence, God as the immanent presence in all things
• He explains how each aspect of God corresponds to a different stage of human nature: Godhead to causal/nondual/superconscious, God to subtle/psychic/personal/transpersonal, God as immanent to rational/mythic/magic/prepersonal/transpersonal
• He criticizes both atheism and fundamentalism as partial views that deny or distort one or more aspects of God
• He advocates for an integral view that honors all aspects of God as expressions of Spirit

The Way Up Is the Way Down

• Wilber examines the paradoxical nature of spiritual growth and development
• He argues that spiritual growth requires both transcendence and inclusion: transcendence means going beyond one’s current level or stage, inclusion means integrating one’s previous levels or stages
• He warns against two common pitfalls: repression means denying or rejecting one’s previous levels or stages, regression means falling back or clinging to one’s previous levels or stages
• He illustrates how transcendence and inclusion can be applied to various domains such as morality, sexuality, ecology, etc.
• He shows how transcendence and inclusion can lead to a more holistic and compassionate way of living

This-Worldly, Otherworldly

• Wilber compares and contrasts two major orientations of spirituality: this-worldly and otherworldly
• He defines this-worldly spirituality as focusing on improving the conditions of life in this world, such as social justice, ecological balance, human rights, etc.
• He defines otherworldly spirituality as focusing on transcending the conditions of life in this world, such as liberation, enlightenment, salvation, etc.
• He acknowledges the merits and limitations of both orientations: this-worldly spirituality is compassionate but often naive, otherworldly spirituality is wise but often indifferent
• He proposes a third orientation that he calls integral spirituality, which integrates both this-worldly and otherworldly concerns in a balanced way

Brave New World

• Wilber critiques the modern worldview that emerged from the scientific revolution and the enlightenment
• He identifies four main features of the modern worldview: empiricism, rationalism, individualism, and materialism
• He explains how these features led to various achievements and problems: empiricism led to scientific progress but also reductionism, rationalism led to philosophical clarity but also skepticism, individualism led to human rights but also alienation, materialism led to economic growth but also consumerism
• He argues that the modern worldview is based on a partial view of reality that excludes or marginalizes other dimensions such as values, meaning, purpose, spirit, etc.
• He suggests that a postmodern worldview is emerging that challenges and transcends the modern worldview

The Collapse of the Kosmos

• Wilber traces the historical development of human consciousness from premodern to modern to postmodern stages
• He describes each stage as having its own kosmos or worldview: premodern kosmos was mythic and holistic, modern kosmos was rational and analytic, postmodern kosmos is pluralistic and relativistic
• He analyzes how each stage contributed to or undermined the sense of order and harmony in reality: premodern kosmos was coherent but dogmatic, modern kosmos was objective but fragmented, postmodern kosmos is tolerant but nihilistic
• He shows how each stage resulted from a dialectical process of differentiation and integration: premodern kosmos differentiated subject from object, modern kosmos differentiated reason from faith, postmodern kosmos differentiated perspectives from truths
• He indicates that a new stage is emerging that can integrate differentiation and integration in a higher synthesis

The Dominance of the Descenders

• Wilber examines the role of mysticism in human history and culture
• He distinguishes between two types of mysticism: ascenders and descenders
• He defines ascenders as mystics who seek to ascend beyond the world of form and duality into pure awareness or emptiness
• He defines descenders as mystics who seek to descend into the world of form and duality with love and compassion
• He observes that most mystical traditions have favored ascenders over descenders: ascenders are seen as more advanced or enlightened than descenders, descenders are seen as less mature or incomplete than ascenders

The Unpacking of God

• Wilber revisits the concept of God or Spirit as the ultimate source and goal of evolution
• He argues that God or Spirit has been traditionally understood in three ways: as a person, as a process, and as a principle
• He explains how each way of understanding God or Spirit corresponds to a different level of consciousness: person to prepersonal/mythic, process to personal/rational, principle to transpersonal/integral
• He criticizes each way of understanding God or Spirit as being partial and incomplete: person is anthropomorphic and literal, process is mechanistic and impersonal, principle is abstract and static
• He proposes a fourth way of understanding God or Spirit that he calls Eros: Eros is the creative drive that animates all levels of existence, Eros is both transcendent and immanent, both personal and impersonal, both dynamic and stable, Eros is the spirit of evolution itself

 

Edited March 19, 2023 by zurew

[Leo Gura]

These kind of summaries cannot substitute for actual reading and thinking.

Be careful.

[CARDOZZO]

@Leo Gura

I agree with that.

Chat-GPT is simply giving a superficial/general view of the book.

I love reading, the juice is always worth the squeeze.

[Jacob Morres]

for anyone considering purchasing - there's a 25 message limit for gpt4, every 3 hours. which they don't tell you before purchasing 

Edited March 19, 2023 by Jacob Morres

[koops]

I don't get the point of all this bullet points, summaries and speed reading.

There is no use in acquiring information fast.

If a book is good, it should be not only read, but studied, and given the case, applied.

 

My rule now is that if a book can be summarized in a few bullet points or speed-read, is not worth it.

 

Edited March 19, 2023 by koops

[CARDOZZO]

@koops But this books can’t be summarized without deep study and contemplation.

They are complex and nuanced.

We were just testing Chat-GPT skills related to resuming books.

And as we have seen it, they are a bit superficial.

I love reading and I’ll keep going for deep study and contemplation.

[Fadl]

Chat gpt is the peak of the capitalistic/materialistic way of thinking ... it will never give you answers beyond these paradigms. 

[mmKay]

 

[Michal__]

Just use it after reading the book for easier application of what you have learned.

[Staples]

I also use it to decide which books to read over others, if I really like where the summary is headed, I'll choose that one. But of course it doesn't replace critical thinking. 

You can also ask it follow up questions if you're interested in a certain chapter. For example:

Prompt: "Please summarize the chapter "The Essence of thick Face, Black Heart" from Chin Ning Chu's book "Thick Face Black Heart". Give me three paragraphs explaining the most important concepts."

Answer: 

"Thick Face, Black Heart" by Chin Ning Chu is a self-help book that provides insights into the strategies of successful individuals in Asian cultures. In Chapter 1, "The Essence of Thick Face, Black Heart," Chu introduces the concept of "thick face, black heart," which is a mindset that she argues is essential for achieving success in life.

Here are three paragraphs summarizing the most important concepts from the chapter:

Thick Face: Chu explains that having a "thick face" means having the ability to remain unperturbed in the face of criticism, rejection, and failure. This means being able to maintain a positive attitude and a strong sense of self-worth, even when faced with obstacles or setbacks. Chu argues that this quality is essential for achieving success, as it allows individuals to persevere through difficult times and maintain their focus on their goals.

Black Heart: The second part of the "thick face, black heart" mindset is having a "black heart," which Chu defines as the ability to be strategic and unscrupulous in pursuit of one's goals. This means being willing to make tough decisions and take risks, even if it means sacrificing one's personal values or integrity. Chu argues that this quality is also essential for achieving success, as it allows individuals to be more effective in achieving their goals and navigating complex social and political environments.

Balancing Thick Face and Black Heart: Finally, Chu emphasizes that having both a thick face and a black heart is not enough on its own. She argues that individuals must also learn to balance these qualities with compassion and empathy, in order to achieve true success and fulfillment. This means being able to see things from others' perspectives, build strong relationships, and act with integrity, even in the face of difficult situations.

Overall, Chapter 1 of "Thick Face, Black Heart" introduces readers to the essential mindset of thick face and black heart, and provides insights into how these qualities can be harnessed for success. By emphasizing the importance of balancing these qualities with empathy and integrity, Chu offers a holistic approach to achieving success and personal fulfillment.

--

I've read this one and gotta say that's a pretty good summary. I don't remember all the exact details, but my general recollection of the book is basically what chat GPT wrote. 

[bambi]

which chatp gpt-4 provider are you guys using

 

[supremeyingyang]

Isn't it illegal that ChatGPT 'reads' these book or did they bought mass license? What about book by tiny publishers or articles recently published?

[supremeyingyang]

15 hours ago, koops said:

I don't get the point of all this bullet points, summaries and speed reading.

There is no use in acquiring information fast.

If a book is good, it should be not only read, but studied, and given the case, applied.

 

My rule now is that if a book can be summarized in a few bullet points or speed-read, is not worth it.

 

Every truth needs a brave person to stand and fall for it. Damn right! Here is your medal of honor.

[soos_mite_ah]

17 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

These kind of summaries cannot substitute for actual reading and thinking.

Be careful.

The OP is currently giving me the same energy as when Tai Lopez explained that what he means by the statement of him reading one book a day is really just him reading summarries of those books, if that.

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by soos_mite_ah