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echohive42/AI-reads-books-page-by-page

A Python script that reads a PDF book page by page with an OpenAI model, extracting knowledge points and writing interval and final summaries.

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What is it?

This project is a Python script, read_books.py, that analyzes a PDF book one page at a time. Each page's text is sent to an OpenAI model, which decides whether the page has relevant content and returns a list of knowledge points. Pages such as the table of contents and index are filtered out.

The script stores extracted knowledge in a JSON knowledge base, so an interrupted run can resume from existing data. At a configurable page interval it generates progressive summaries, and after all pages are processed it produces a final summary. Outputs are saved as Markdown files under a book_analysis directory.

Users set the PDF filename and optional constants such as the analysis interval, test page limit, and the models used for page processing and analysis. The tool is aimed at people who want structured notes and summaries from long books.

Key features

  • 01Processes a PDF page by page and extracts knowledge points with an OpenAI model.
  • 02Generates interval summaries at a configurable page count and a final summary.
  • 03Stores the knowledge base as JSON and resumes from existing data.
  • 04Skips pages such as tables of contents and indexes.
  • 05Saves outputs as Markdown summaries and organized folders.

Use cases

  • Taking structured notes from a long nonfiction book.
  • Summarizing a technical manual or textbook chapter by chapter.
  • Building a searchable knowledge base from several PDF books.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Install the Python requirements

    pip install -r requirements.txt
  2. 2

    Place your PDF in the project root and set PDF_NAME in read_books.py to its filename

  3. 3

    Run the script

    python read_books.py

Things to know

  • The script uses the OpenAI API, so you need an OpenAI account and API key, and usage is billed.
  • The README gives no explicit list of dependencies or setup details beyond requirements.txt, and its clone instructions use placeholder URLs.

Topics

#pdf#summarization#openai#knowledge-extraction#python#reading

FAQ

What is AI-reads-books-page-by-page?
A Python script that reads a PDF book page by page with an OpenAI model, extracting knowledge points and writing interval and final summaries. This project is a Python script, read_books.py, that analyzes a PDF book one page at a time. Each page's text is sent to an OpenAI model, which decides whether the page has relevant content and returns a list of knowledge points. Pages such as the table of contents and index are filtered out.
Is AI-reads-books-page-by-page free to use? What license does it have?
AI-reads-books-page-by-page is open source under the MIT license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is AI-reads-books-page-by-page still maintained?
Updated within 6 months. The last commit to AI-reads-books-page-by-page was on Jun 27, 2026.
What can I use AI-reads-books-page-by-page for?
Taking structured notes from a long nonfiction book. Summarizing a technical manual or textbook chapter by chapter. Building a searchable knowledge base from several PDF books.
How do I install AI-reads-books-page-by-page?
Install the Python requirements: pip install -r requirements.txt Place your PDF in the project root and set PDF_NAME in read_books.py to its filename Run the script: python read_books.py
Where can I get AI-reads-books-page-by-page?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/echohive42/AI-reads-books-page-by-page

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