This New NotebookLM Feature is a Game Changer!
Friends,
I’ve written about NotebookLM numerous times in the past. See here, here, and here. It’s easily my favorite AI app, hands down. I use the platform every day to help with content consolidation, contracts, Max Creek interviews, note taking, operating agreements, and more. I even teach NotebookLM classes.
This week, Google announced a new feature and it’s a game changer. Seriously. The feature is called “Audio Overview.” After glancing at the somewhat dull description, I decided to give it a try. I had added a new chapter of my Max Creek book to the app and clicked the generate “deep dive conversation” button. My document was six pages and it took about five minutes to render. Then I clicked play. I almost fell out of my seat! I thought the feature would simply dictate the note I added. Nope. It actually created a legitimate podcast of my content with both a male and female podcast host. I almost fell out of my seat. I don’t think I’ve been this impressed with a technology-related product since the release of the iPhone. No joke.
I called some team members over and we tested a variety of content including department updates, company messages, email, etc. We were roaring. It doesn’t matter how long your note is. NotebookLM took a short email and converted it to a five minute podcast. Also, the two AI hosts have a surprisingly good rapport. They have good timing and dare I say, chemistry. Is it possible for AI to have “chemistry?” I was impressed with their speech patterns—both the accentuation and intonation. The male AI host actually sounds like writer Steven Johnson, who works with the Google team developing NotebookLM. The AI voices are the same for every note and there is currently no option to make adjustments. However, I can totally see a future iteration of the feature that allows you to use your own voice.
When I got home, I uploaded my two books, Acapulco and The Potato Puff Surprise. I’m not going to lie, I got a little misty. It was like listening to a national podcast reviewing my book. Check it out.
Pretty cool, right? If you’re a NotebookLM user, here’s how it works:
Log into NotebookLM
Create a new notebook
Connect a source like a Google Doc or upload a PDF
Click “Notebook guide,” then the “Generate” button
After it renders, click play
Here are the screenshots.
Give it a try and let me know what you think.
P.S. If you’re interested in reading, here’s the transcript of the AI-generated podcast about Acapulco.
Ever get those, like, core memories, you know, those summers that felt like they stretched on forever? Oh, absolutely. Building ramps for jumps, the taste of sugary drinks, that kind of humid air that just felt like anything was possible? Yeah, you just captured it.
That's the vibe we're diving into today. But this one's no beach vacation, right? We're talking 1980s Pawtucket, Rhode Island, with Acapulco, where things get a little strange just beneath the surface. What's so brilliant about this setting, this 1980s Pawtucket, is how instantly recognizable it is. If you grew up in that era, Flanagan just drops you right into that world. Oh, yeah, sensory details. It's like a time machine. It's so true, you can practically smell the chlorine and grape soda, exactly. And speaking of places that transport you, the heart of this whole thing is a quarry lake the kids call Acapulco, all overgrown, off limits, the kind of spot that dares you to get up to no good.
And like any good coming of age story, Acapulco, it's not just a location. It's like this symbol, right, right? It represents that yearning for something beyond just everyday life, those first forays into the unknown that we all kind of take in adolescence. Yeah, even if it's just a no trespassing sign we're ignoring exactly you've got that, right? Yeah. And our main character, Simon, is drawn to this place, especially with his Daredevil buddy, Chris. Then there's Gary, the loyal one, right? And Curtis, who always has the cool stuff. This tight knit crew ends up at the heart of everything that unfolds. And their dynamic is fascinating, because each friend, in a way, represents a different facet of Simon's personality. So you've got Chris's impulsiveness, oh yeah, Gary's steadiness, even Curtis's focus on, you know, kind of status and material things. These are all things that Simon is grappling with as he figures out who he is. And boy, does that get complicated. After Chris's legendary bike jump, Flanagan really takes his time building this up, always makeshift ramp the crowd holding their breath. You can practically hear the CANS that they're using as markers rattling, yes, as Chris picked up speed, it's a master class in suspense. And what makes it even more effective is how Flanagan uses this incredibly vivid, I would even say, cinematic language to describe it. Right? It's like he's painting a picture with words, but he's also really carefully orchestrating the pace I'm building towards this moment where everything could just go wrong, and it does go wrong, but not in the way you'd expect see. While everyone's focused on Chris flying through the air, Simon has this terrifying experience in the lake. He finds a submerged car, feels this weird pulling sensation and then smoke. This is where Flanagan introduces that element of the supernatural, or at least the unexplained, right? Is it real? Is it imagined? Is it a manifestation of Simon's own anxieties? He leaves it deliberately ambiguous. He's forcing us, the readers, to confront the unknown right alongside Simon, and to make matters even more intense, Simon's not just battling whatever's in that lake. He's dealing with something way too familiar. Bullies Billy Hogan and his crew are relentless, just making Simon's life miserable. And this is where Acapulco, I think, transcends just a simple adventure story. You know, Flanagan uses that bullying subplot to explore something very real about social dynamics, not just among kids, but just in life. Billy's cruelty stems from insecurity that need to assert dominance. It's something that unfortunately, I think a lot of people can relate to.
It's true, those dynamics can play out in all sorts of ways, but luckily for Simon, he has his friends right? Despite the bullying, their bond really shines through sleepovers, sharing snacks, always having each other's backs, even when they're scared out of their minds. It reminds you of the power of those close connections, especially when things get tough. Absolutely And it's those friendships that really help him navigate the central mystery of the story. Remember that scene with Mr. Foley, oh yeah, where he makes those just completely clueless comments about Simon's family, right? Right? The way his friends rally around him afterward. It's like, it's that silent support. Yeah? They just get it. They understand, yeah, Flanagan's so good at depicting that awkwardness of adolescents like they aren't always super articulate about their feelings totally, but their actions speak volumes. You know, think about how they go about planning the Acapulco trip, yes, poring over comic books, sharing their dreams. Oh, yeah, even those kind of fumbling attempts to talk about girls, it really captures that universal longing for connection and escape. Yes, that escape which leads them right back to the quarry, right back to the heart of the mystery, to the heart of it all. And this is where Flanagan, he cranks up the tension, oh yeah, the confrontation between Simon and Billy at the cliff. It's just so good masterclass. And Sister. Sense? Yeah, you can practically feel the danger. And what's so powerful about that scene is that it forces Simon to confront not just his bully, but his own fears. That's true, that moment when Billy loses his footing and the smoke returns, it's like it's summoned by this this eruption of chaos, right? And it's a turning point for Simon.
Totally. It would've been so easy for him to just freeze up in that moment. Oh, absolutely. Let fear take over, but he chooses to help Billy. He does even after everything I know Billy's Put him through. It's amazing. And that act of courage, choosing compassion in the face of fear, it speaks volumes about who Simon is it really does? It makes you wonder what's going through his head in that moment, right? Is it just about saving Billy, or is there a part of him that needs to prove something, right? Prove it to himself? Maybe not even to Billy, exactly. And it gets even more interesting when you think about Simon's experience compared to Hannah's his sister. Oh, that's a good point. She's practically a local hero, right? Right, right, getting help when their dad had that heart attack, right? But Simon's wrestling with this internal conflict, yeah, this act of heroism that no one even knows about, it makes you question, what is heroism, really? It does? Is it about recognition, or those small acts of bravery that happen every day, and what about the lasting impact of these experiences. I mean, Hannah's heroism is celebrated and recognized, but does it change who she is? Right? Right? And Simon carrying the secret, how will that shape him going forward?
That's what I love about this book. Flanagan doesn't give us any easy answers. He doesn't. And the ending of Acapulco, it's, it's ambiguous. It is very much so the quarries filled in. Sister Mary Francis is saying her prayers. But the mystery of the car, the smoke, it's still there. It's all still there. It's like he just leaves us hanging. He does. He leaves that door open for you. And I think it makes the story even stronger. I agree. It really makes you think, because even though they filled in the quarry like literally erased it, right, it still has this hold on everyone. Well, it's become more than just a place, right? It represents their shared history. Yes, exactly that physical Acapulco might be gone, but the memories, the fear, the friendships that were forged there, those remain. It's kind of like a metaphor, you know, absolutely, for how the past just stays with us, yeah, no matter how much we try to move on. And I think that's what makes these coming of age stories so universal, so powerful, because Acapulco at its core, it's about facing your fears, which we all do, in a way we do. It's about those friendships that get you through and figuring out who you are in a world that doesn't always make sense. It reminds us, too, that growing up isn't always, you know, a straight line ever is, is it? No, no. It's messy, it's confusing, and I think it's often marked by these pivotal moments that kind of define who we become. Definitely makes you think about your own Acapulco, you know, oh, I know those places, those experiences that changed you. And isn't that the mark of a great story? It is when it stays with you long after you've finished it? Yes, 100% so listeners, if you want a story that just pulls you in, makes you think, check out Acapulco by Tom Flanagan. You won't regret it. It's one of those books that lingers, you know, like a half remembered dream. And isn't that what a good deep dive should do? It is. It's about exploring, taking the plunge and coming back with a new perspective, until next time. Keep diving everyone you.