A Hacker News user had long forgotten the title and author of a book they'd once read, and searching online got nowhere. Not expecting much, they gave ChatGPT a brief summary of the story and it correctly guessed the book.
I'm trying to remember a book I read around [YEAR OR AGE]. Here's what I remember: [PLOT, CHARACTERS, SETTING, COVER, ANYTHING ELSE]. Give me your five best guesses with the author and year, and for each one explain which details match and which don't. Ask me questions if that would help narrow it down.
Replace the [PLACEHOLDERS] with your own details before you send it.
How to try it
- Write down everything you remember, even small details like the cover colour or where you read it.
- Ask ChatGPT for several guesses and the reasons behind each.
- Check the likely matches on a library or bookshop site before you order, as guesses can be wrong.
More learning use cases
Turn your ‘read later’ pile into a short audio summary with NotebookLM
An XDA writer fed NotebookLM the links from about 30 old 'read later' bookmarks and generated an Audio Overview. The 15-minute discussion pulled out the key ideas and showed which three articles were worth reading properly.
These sources are articles I saved to read later about [TOPICS]. Group them by theme, give me the three or four big ideas they share, and tell me which [NUMBER] articles are most worth reading in full and why. Point out any that mostly repeat the others.
Create listening practice from mini stories with Claude
On Hacker News, a German learner who needs to improve their listening said they have Claude write mini stories on different topics, then use ElevenLabs to narrate them.
Write a short story in [LANGUAGE] at [LEVEL, E.G. A2] level about [TOPIC], around [NUMBER] words. Use everyday vocabulary, short sentences and a bit of dialogue. After the story, list 10 key words with English meanings and three comprehension questions.
Practise travel phrases before a trip with ChatGPT voice
A WIRED writer practised Japanese with ChatGPT's voice mode for a month before Tokyo, role-playing ordering food and small talk. By week three key phrases began to stick, and asking for more detailed feedback stopped it praising his mistakes.
Be a strict but friendly [LANGUAGE] tutor. I'm a beginner travelling to [CITY] in [WEEKS] weeks. Today, role-play [SCENARIO, E.G. ORDERING AT A RESTAURANT]. Correct my pronunciation honestly and don't tell me I did well unless I really did. End with the five phrases I should practise.
Reference: Hacker News