book-to-skill

---
name: book-to-skill
description: "Converts books and documents (PDF, EPUB, DOCX, HTML, Markdown, plain text, RTF, MOBI/AZW with Calibre) into structured agent skills, extracting frameworks, mental models, principles, techniques, and anti-patterns. Use when the user wants to study a document through GitHub Copilot CLI, Amp, Claude Code, or Hermes Agent, apply an author's frameworks while working, or build a reusable knowledge base from a file."
---

<!--
Cross-agent notes (informational; ignored by host agents):
  - Compatible skill roots: GitHub Copilot CLI (~/.copilot/skills, ~/.agents/skills,
    .github/skills, .claude/skills, .agents/skills), Amp (.agents/skills,
    ~/.config/agents/skills, ~/.config/amp/skills), Claude Code (~/.claude/skills),
    Hermes Agent ($HERMES_HOME/skills, .hermes/skills, .agents/skills).
  - `allowed-tools` is intentionally omitted to stay agent-neutral: Copilot CLI uses
    `shell`/MCP-server names, Claude uses `Bash`/`Read`/`Write`/`Glob`/`Grep`, Amp
    adds `shell_command`. The skill needs shell (to run extract.py) and file
    read/write — each host will prompt for those on first use.
  - Argument hint: <path-to-document-folder-or-glob>... [skill-name-slug]
-->

# Book-to-Skill Converter

Transform written knowledge into actionable agent skills by extracting structure — not producing summaries.

## Philosophy

Books contain crystallized expertise: frameworks, principles, and techniques that took years to develop. This skill extracts that knowledge into a format GitHub Copilot CLI, Amp, Claude Code, Hermes Agent, or another compatible agent can leverage repeatedly.

**Extract structure, not summaries.** A skill isn't a book report. It's a toolkit of:
- Named frameworks (mental models with clear application)
- Actionable principles (rules that guide decisions)
- Techniques (step-by-step methods)
- Anti-patterns (what to avoid and why)
- Voice calibration (how the author thinks and communicates)

**Preserve the author's precision.** Frameworks often have specific names for reasons. "The 5 Whys" isn't interchangeable with "ask why multiple times." Capture the exact formulation.

**Layer depth appropriately.** Simple books → simple skills. Complex books with 10+ frameworks → skills with reference files and on-demand chapters.

---

## Modes of Operation

Four paths available. Route based on what the user asks:

### 1. Full Conversion (Default)
**Trigger:** User provides one or more document/directory/glob paths without special instructions
**Action:** Run all steps below (Steps 0–9)
**Output:** Complete skill with SKILL.md, chapters/, glossary, patterns, cheatsheet

### 2. Analyze Only
**Trigger:** User says "analyze", "just extract", or "I want to review before generating"
**Action:** Run Steps 0–3, then produce a structured extraction report (frameworks, principles, techniques found). Stop — do NOT generate skill files.
**Output:** Analysis report for user review

### 3. Generate from Prior Analysis
**Trigger:** User has existing analysis notes or previously ran analyze-only
**Action:** Skip Steps 0–3, use the provided analysis as input, run Steps 4–9
**Output:** Skill files from the provided analysis

### 4. Update / Fold-in (Existing Skill)
**Trigger:** User provides one or more new source paths and indicates they want to update an existing skill (either by pointing to the existing skill folder, providing a skill slug that already exists in `SKILLS_HOME`, or explicitly requesting an update).