Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Book-to-Skill Converter agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
book-to-skill is an agent skill that converts a book or document into a structured skill folder your AI agent can load later. Instead of a summary, it extracts named frameworks, mental models, principles, techniques and anti-patterns, so the agent can apply an author's methods while it works. This guide explains what the skill does, how to install it, how to trigger it with plain requests, and what it needs to run safely.
Book-to-Skill Convertervirgiliojr94/book-to-skill · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Get the book-to-skill ZIP from the agent-skills directory page.
- 2Install it. Unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ or a project's .claude/skills/, or upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills in the Claude apps.
- 3Check the requirements. Make sure Python and shell access are available, and install Calibre only if you need MOBI or AZW files.
- 4Ask for a conversion. Give the agent the document path and, optionally, a skill name, for example in the form book-to-skill <path> [skill-name-slug].
- 5Approve the permissions. Allow the shell and file read/write prompts the first time the agent asks, since extract.py needs them.
- 6Review the output. Check the generated skill folder, or ask for analyze-only mode first if you want to review the extraction before files are written.
- 7Use the skill. Ask the agent to apply the author's frameworks to a task, and the skill's guidance will be available to it.
What is an agent skill, and what does book-to-skill do?
An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file and supporting files that an AI coding agent can read and follow when a task matches the skill's description. Compatible hosts include GitHub Copilot CLI, Amp, Claude Code, Hermes Agent, OpenCode and OpenClaw.
book-to-skill is itself one of these skills. Once it is installed, you point the agent at a document and it converts that document into a new skill. It accepts PDF, EPUB, DOCX, HTML, Markdown, plain text, RTF, and MOBI/AZW files (the last two with Calibre).
- Named frameworks, with their exact names and how to apply them
- Actionable principles that guide decisions
- Step-by-step techniques
- Anti-patterns, with what to avoid and why
- The author's voice and how they think and communicate
Install book-to-skill from the ZIP or the Claude apps
Download the book-to-skill ZIP from the agent-skills directory page. Then choose one of the following methods.
For Claude Code, unzip the download into your personal skills folder ~/.claude/skills/, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder to keep it limited to one project.
In the Claude apps, open Settings, go to Capabilities, then Skills, and upload the ZIP.
- Personal install for Claude Code: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/
- Project install: unzip into .claude/skills/ inside your project folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills → upload the ZIP
Run a conversion with a natural request
The skill's usage pattern is a path to one or more documents, folders or glob patterns, followed by an optional skill name in lowercase hyphenated form. Your agent will also respond to plain requests that name the file and the goal, such as asking it to turn a specific EPUB into a skill.
If you want to check the extraction before any skill files are written, say so. Phrases such as "analyze" or "just extract" make the agent stop after producing a report of the frameworks, principles and techniques it found. To add new material to a skill you already made, provide the new source files and say you want to update that skill.
- Full conversion: give the document path and nothing else special
- Analyze only: ask for an analysis or extraction report to review first
- Update: provide new source files and name the existing skill to fold them into
- Skill name: add a lowercase hyphenated slug such as my-book-skill if you want a specific name
book-to-skill <path-to-document-folder-or-glob>... [skill-name-slug]Where generated skills are saved
The skill prefers the shared user-level folder ~/.agents/skills/ for the skills it generates, because one copy then serves several hosts. Copilot CLI and Amp find it directly. Claude Code needs a symlink from ~/.claude/skills/ to the generated skill, which the skill creates in its final step.
A project-local or host-private location is used only when you explicitly ask for one. Before extracting, the skill checks whether a skill with the same name already exists in the destination, and if so it asks whether to update it, verify it, or regenerate it from scratch.
- Default: ~/.agents/skills/
- Claude Code: symlink in ~/.claude/skills/
- Project-local only when requested
- Existing skill with the same name: you are asked before anything is re-extracted
Use the skill's safety and requirements notes
book-to-skill runs a helper script, extract.py, and it reads and writes files in your agent's skill folders. Your host agent will ask for shell access and file permissions the first time they are needed. The skill does not use the network.
Python is needed because the agent runs extract.py. Calibre is needed only for MOBI and AZW files. Check the permissions prompts before approving them, and do not use the skill in an environment where running local scripts is not allowed.
Only convert books you have the right to use. The output is a derived knowledge file that may be stored or shared, so copyright matters.
- Requires Python, shell access and file read/write permission in the host agent
- Calibre is required only for MOBI and AZW
- Runs scripts: yes (extract.py). Uses network: no
- Use it only with books you have rights to use
Tips for better results
Give a complete, specific source. A clean EPUB or Markdown file usually extracts more reliably than a scanned PDF, though all supported formats are accepted. Choose a clear skill name so you can find and update the skill later.
Start with analyze-only mode on a long or complex book. Review the frameworks it found, then generate the skill from that analysis. This keeps you in control of what the skill is built on.
- Prefer clean text-based files over scans where you can
- Use analyze-only first for long or dense books
- Pick a skill name you will recognise later
- Use update mode to add chapters or companion documents over time
What people use it for
- Applying a business book's decision frameworks to a current project plan
- Building a knowledge base from a set of technical manuals or product documentation
- Creating a structured study aid from a textbook chapter by chapter
- Updating an existing skill as new editions or companion documents are added
Frequently asked questions
Is book-to-skill free to use?
The source material describes the project as MIT-licensed, so check the LICENSE.md in the package for the full terms. The page does not list any price for the skill itself.
What do I need to run book-to-skill?
You need Python, because the agent runs the helper script extract.py, plus shell access and file read/write permission in your host agent. Calibre is needed only if you convert MOBI or AZW files.
How do I install book-to-skill in Claude Code?
Download the ZIP and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for a personal install, or into .claude/skills/ inside a project for a project-only install. You can also upload the ZIP in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Which file types can book-to-skill convert?
It accepts PDF, EPUB, DOCX, HTML, Markdown, plain text and RTF. MOBI and AZW files are supported with Calibre installed.
Does book-to-skill send my files over the internet?
The skill's notes say it does not use the network. It does run a local helper script and reads and writes files, so review the permission prompts before approving them.
How is this different from asking an AI to summarise a book?
book-to-skill is designed for structured extraction. It pulls out named frameworks, principles, techniques and anti-patterns, and the author's voice, rather than writing a short overview.
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Our verdict
book-to-skill suits readers and developers who want an agent to apply a specific author's frameworks or build a reusable knowledge base from documents they have the right to use. It is a poor fit if you only want a quick summary, if you need to avoid running local scripts, or if you do not have rights to the source material.
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