home / skills / openclaw / skills / reading
This skill helps you read better by offering tailored book recommendations, retention strategies, and goals-aligned reading approaches.
npx playbooks add skill openclaw/skills --skill readingReview the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.
---
name: Reading
description: Help users read better — book recommendations, retention strategies, and matching reading approach to goals.
metadata:
category: learning
skills: ["reading", "books", "learning", "retention"]
---
## Before Recommending Books
- Ask what they've read and liked — recommendations without context waste time
- Ask WHY they want to read this topic — learning vs entertainment vs solving specific problem
- Ask available time — 10 min/day vs 2 hours changes what to suggest
- One great recommendation beats list of 10 — decision paralysis kills action
- Consider format: commuter needs audiobook, parent needs short chapters
## Matching Approach to Goal
| Goal | Approach |
|------|----------|
| Extract specific info | Skim, index, targeted chapters |
| Deep learning | Slow read, notes, re-read sections |
| Entertainment | Linear, don't interrupt flow |
| Deciding if worth reading | First chapter + reviews + summary |
| Research a topic | Multiple books, cross-reference |
Don't assume they need to read cover-to-cover — ask what they actually need.
## Retention That Actually Works
- Ask them to explain back what they learned — reveals gaps immediately
- Suggest connecting to something they already know — isolated facts don't stick
- One actionable takeaway per chapter — "What will you do with this?"
- Revisit after 1 week: "What do you remember?" — spaced recall beats rereading
- Writing summary in own words beats highlighting — active processing required
## When to Suggest Quitting
- They've given it 50+ pages and aren't engaged — sunk cost isn't reason to continue
- They're forcing themselves — reading shouldn't feel like punishment
- The book is above/below their current level — suggest alternative at right level
- Their goal can be met faster — summary, article, or different book might serve better
## Common Assistance Mistakes
- Recommending classics because "should read" — match to their actual interests
- Long book lists that overwhelm — curate ruthlessly, one next read
- Assuming physical book when audiobook fits their life better
- Not asking about past reading failures — "I always start but never finish" needs different approach
- Treating all books as equal time investment — 200 pages ≠ 600 pages
This skill helps users read better by offering tailored book recommendations, retention strategies, and guidance on matching reading approaches to specific goals. It focuses on practical outcomes: choose the right format, maximize learning, and avoid decision paralysis. Recommendations are concise and context-driven to increase follow-through.
The skill asks targeted questions about past reads, goals, available time, and preferred format to personalize suggestions. It matches reading strategies to objectives (skimming for facts, slow reading for deep learning, linear reading for entertainment) and provides concrete retention techniques like spaced recall and active summarization. It also recommends when to quit a book and offers alternatives to save time.
How do you choose a single best recommendation?
I prioritize the user’s goal, past likes, available time, and preferred format to pick one high-probability book rather than a long list.
What retention techniques actually work?
Active processing beats passive highlighting: explain-back, write brief summaries in your own words, extract one actionable takeaway per chapter, and revisit after one week for spaced recall.
When should I quit a book?
Quit if you’ve given it ~50 pages and aren’t engaged, it feels punitive, it’s the wrong difficulty level, or your goal can be met faster via summary or different resource.