Here is what I’ve noticed while studying with the tool.

• Integrate Gemini to improve prompts, not to think for you. Use it to formulate better questions and detect what to look for within the material.
• Limit your sources (max 2 or 3). If you upload too much content, NotebookLM starts to ramble. With fewer sources, it extracts information better without over-summarizing.
• Use NotebookLM as a semantic search engine, not as a summarizer. It indicates exactly where the information is in the book: go directly there.
• Add notes with real excerpts from the book, not just AI-generated summaries. Read the original text and take notes from there.
• Don't settle for the summary the AI gives you. Use it as a guide, but always go back to the author's text.
• AI is good at summarizing, but it often loses the substance of the book, the tone, and the author's intent. The value is in the text, not in the synthesis.
• Think of NotebookLM as a shortcut to the heart of the content, not as a replacement for reading.