Best Books to Learn New Skills Using AI
Do you ever feel like you've missed the boat on learning a new hobby or skill because the classes are too fast or the manuals are too thick? It’s a common frustration, but there is a new way to learn that puts you back in the driver’s charge of your own schedule.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) can act as your personal tutor, breaking down complex books and skills into small, manageable pieces. Think of AI as a "digital friend" who has read every book in the library and is ready to explain any chapter to you in plain English.
For example, if you wanted to learn about birdwatching or gardening, you could ask AI to summarize the most important tips from a famous guidebook. Instead of reading 300 pages, you get a simple checklist of exactly what tools to buy and which birds to look for in your specific neighborhood.
Using AI to learn from books is a game-changer for several reasons:
Master Any Topic Without the Friction
Traditional learning often feels like homework, which is exactly what we want to avoid. AI allows you to skip the "noise" and get straight to the parts of a book that matter to you. You can simply ask your digital friend to "Explain the main points of this chapter like we're having coffee," and it will do just that.
Create Your Own Learning Recipe
In our book, AI for Boomers, we talk about using "recipes" instead of complicated technical commands. You can give AI a recipe for your learning: tell it you have 20 minutes, three times a week, and ask it to build a custom schedule for you. This takes the guesswork out of where to start and what to do next.
Revisit Old Favorites with Ease
We all have books on our shelves that we enjoyed but have mostly forgotten. You can ask AI to "Remind me of the main lessons from this book" or "Why did the character make that choice?" This lets you enjoy the wisdom of your favorite books without having to re-read the entire thing from scratch.
Start with a Steady Foundation
If you're looking for the best place to start your AI journey, our book AI for Boomers was designed specifically for this purpose. It isn't a technical manual; it’s a guide to building timeless habits, like how to ask a clear question and how to outsmart scammers. It’s the perfect companion to help you feel at home with these new tools.
Don't worry about "breaking" anything or being behind. The best way to learn is to stay curious and take small, steady steps. You've already adapted to computers and smartphones, and you can absolutely master this too.
If you want to dive deeper into the basics, check our guide on [what AI actually is](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://aianswered.com/blog/what-is-ai-simple-explanation).
One simple action to take: Pick a book you've always wanted to read and ask ChatGPT, "Can you give me a 3-paragraph summary of the main ideas in [Book Name]?"