Basement Whatever

Have you ever wanted to research something, so you bookmark a dozen articles, get distracted by everything on the internet, take notes, try to find the common links between the articles, get distracted again – and a project takes way longer than it should? A well-built prompt can fix that, save you time, and return you to the days when reading meant calm focus.

A way to restore the calm of reading a book without ads everywhere

The key is asking an AI to synthesize all your sources into a single, cohesive e-book that you can read on your own time, without distractions. Even better, you can make this ebook tailored to how you learn.

The example below uses this approach to upgrade a Magic: The Gathering deck, but the technique will work for any area where you want to synthesize multiple approaches. Whether you want to learn investing basics, a new programming language, estate planning, parenting research, this approach will create an ebook that you can read calmly and quietly, the way books and research were intended to work.

How you can create an ebook from multiple links

First, collect all the links you want to research. Then create a variation of this prompt by switching out the bracketed sections to meet your needs. Then paste that prompt into an AI and get started. (I’m not sure where this prompt came from, I think I read it somewhere on Twitter).

I have 6 articles/sources saved on upgrading the [Quick Draw MTG precon]. I want to turn them into a cohesive, interactive e-book that fits my learning style and actually helps me retain what I read. About me (the reader): [I know magic the gathering and have played extensively. I have a lot of experience with the Commander format, and I want to upgrade the Quick Draw deck to maximize my chances of winning. I do not want a deck that wins just with creatures. I want an alternate win condition, and I want a deck that feels like I’m a wizard, casting all sorts of spells each round].
What I want from the e-book: Written for someone at my level: no talking down, no assuming too much

– Explains concepts from first principles when needed tight, focused guide
– Tone: practical and actionable
– Designed to be read cover-to-cover, not just referenced
What makes it “interactive”:
– Include reflection questions, thought exercises, or mini-scenarios throughout
– Prompt me to connect ideas to my own experience or goals
– Surface tensions or open questions worth sitting with
What “good” looks like:
– Synthesizes the best insights across all sources, don’t just summarize each one separately
– Explains the “why” and “how,” not just the “what”
– Explains the different approaches in the various guides so I can choose which one [best fits my playstyle]
– [Gives me a shopping list that contains more cards than I need, so I can experiment]
– Uses concrete examples and analogies to make abstract ideas tangible
– Builds logically, earlier sections lay groundwork for later ones
Process:
– First, read through all the sources I provide
– Ask me clarifying questions about scope, emphasis, and structure before writing
– Propose an outline for my approval
Then write the e-book
Links:
https://mtg.cardsrealm.com/en-us/articles/upgrading-commander-precon-quick-draw-stella-lee-wild-card
https://www.coolstuffinc.com/a/paigesmith-04172024-how-should-i-upgrade-the-quick-draw-commander-precon https://draftsim.com/quick-draw-upgrade-guide/
https://cardgamebase.com/quick-draw-upgrade-guide/
https://edhrec.com/articles/quick-draw-thunder-junction-precon-upgrade-guide
https://www.tcgplayer.com/content/article/Quick-Draw-MTG-Commander-Upgrade-Precon-Guide/5bb39fcf-9e41-4e9e-bc07-bf1f60813e33/
https://blog.cardkingdom.com/quick-draw-commander-precon-upgrade-guide/“

Here’s what makes the approach work

• The prompt synthesizes – it doesn’t summarize. By synthesizing all the arguments, the AI prompt gives you an overview that you can read and compare. You can also tweak the prompt to include more direct comparisons, if that is important.

• The prompt is interactive. You can vary this prompt to create study questions or mini-scenarios to help you learn the target material and retain information.
• Customized to you. We didn’t ask for books customized to us, but we now have the capability for them. Whatever your experience level, adapt the prompt to get you an ebook that is unique to you.

Quiet, calm focus is the payoff

The payoff is the format itself. An e-book is calm. The internet is filled with ads, flashing popups, links to other sources, and easy ways to access a million distractions. I like to think that this approach is recovering quiet reading back from the carnival of capitalism that the internet has become – except now that quiet reading is customized to you on any topic that interests you.

So before you bookmark that next article, consider bookmarking the idea: gather up multiple sources, write the prompt, and let the AI hand you a book which you can read quietly.