Kindle 2 Has a Book Description?

Lilly · 02-12-2009, 03:57 PM

I was going through the Kindle2 User Guide and in the Menu there's a Book Description tag; boy if it's like a synopsis of the book, I will be in 7th heaven! I've been wondering why the back page of the book is not scan and have countless time sent e-mails suggestions to publishers to have this included!

bwaldron · 02-12-2009, 04:05 PM

Good find!

I would imagine this is likely reading this from the standard Mobi metadata.

(And if so, why can't this feature be made available in the Kindle 1 firmware?)

KindleKat · 02-12-2009, 04:18 PM

Yeah, there is no technical reason they couldn't put this on the K1 i dont think (but they wont, so the K2 has something better than the K1)

Lilly · 02-12-2009, 04:46 PM

This is the explanation for Book Description in the User Guide!

Book Description — connects to the Kindle Store and displays the detail page for the full book.

Leep · 02-12-2009, 05:21 PM

That does sound like meta data. And if you use Calibre as a library for your books, it will look up that info for you in the Summary column.

cheers

shima · 02-12-2009, 07:07 PM

Sounds like you'd be reading the equivalent to the book summary when you select that option.

kovidgoyal · 02-12-2009, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lilly

This is the explanation for Book Description in the User Guide!

Book Description — connects to the Kindle Store and displays the detail page for the full book.

In that case it wont be from the MOBI metadata.

lilac_jive · 02-12-2009, 07:18 PM

Now this is a cool feature!

bwaldron · 02-12-2009, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

In that case it wont be from the MOBI metadata.

Yeah. Seems like just using the metadata would be the better solution, but I guess this way they can sell it as a "cool" wireless feature.

kovidgoyal · 02-12-2009, 08:13 PM

Basically another attempt at vendor lock in. You have to give them credit for trying

wallcraft · 02-12-2009, 08:13 PM

There is a "Description" MOBI metadata item, which is limited to 4000 characters. Also a "Review" (2000 characters).

The Description is used by Windows MobiPocket Reader in its eBook view. I checked (using an ebook with a description), and the description metadata is not a menu item on the Kindle 1 with the latest firmware.

Most MOBIs don't provide a description, so it isn't surprizing that the K2 is going to "call home" for the information.

kovidgoyal · 02-12-2009, 08:23 PM

Amazon is going to make its book collection available to readers, it probably realizes it has to. In which case if it updated the metadata in all the books it sold, there would be no need to "call home" for the metadata. Unfortunately, instead of doing everybody a service and making the metadata available publicly, they locked it down on their servers where the terms of service mean that 3rd parties can get access to the metadata only if they use it to directly promote sales at Amazon.com

wallcraft · 02-12-2009, 08:32 PM

I'm not sure Amazon is at fault in this case. The problem is that publishers control the content of ebooks, including the metadata.

I think this is why mobi2mobi (say) can easily update the metadata in a MOBI, but MobiPocket puts any user-generated changes in the .mbp file (which is often over written, and typically isn't transferable between devices).

S.Canton · 02-12-2009, 10:34 PM

Good find, now to see if it's actually what we all believe it to be.

02-12-2009, 03:57 PM	#1
Lilly Guru Posts: 688 Karma: 2090 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Sony PRS-505, PRS-900 & PRS-950, Amazon Kindle2	Kindle 2 Has a Book Description? I was going through the Kindle2 User Guide and in the Menu there's a Book Description tag; boy if it's like a synopsis of the book, I will be in 7th heaven! I've been wondering why the back page of the book is not scan and have countless time sent e-mails suggestions to publishers to have this included!

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02-12-2009, 04:05 PM	#2
bwaldron Wizard Posts: 1,229 Karma: 543210 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Gatlinburg, Tennessee Device: Kindles: Paperwhite Signature Ed., Oasis 2, Voyage	Good find! I would imagine this is likely reading this from the standard Mobi metadata. (And if so, why can't this feature be made available in the Kindle 1 firmware?)

02-12-2009, 04:18 PM	#3
KindleKat Connoisseur Posts: 99 Karma: 29 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kindle	Yeah, there is no technical reason they couldn't put this on the K1 i dont think (but they wont, so the K2 has something better than the K1)

02-12-2009, 04:46 PM	#4
Lilly Guru Posts: 688 Karma: 2090 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Sony PRS-505, PRS-900 & PRS-950, Amazon Kindle2	This is the explanation for Book Description in the User Guide! Book Description — connects to the Kindle Store and displays the detail page for the full book.

02-12-2009, 05:21 PM	#5
Leep Guru Posts: 739 Karma: 1018859 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Near Seattle Device: kindle1, K3, K3G (thanks MR), iTouch, Kindle Touch	That does sound like meta data. And if you use Calibre as a library for your books, it will look up that info for you in the Summary column. cheers

02-12-2009, 07:07 PM	#6
shima 読みすぎる Posts: 27 Karma: 44 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: San Francisco, CA Device: Kindle 3	Sounds like you'd be reading the equivalent to the book summary when you select that option.

02-12-2009, 07:18 PM	#8
lilac_jive Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,870 Karma: 27376 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Device: PRS-505	Now this is a cool feature!

02-12-2009, 08:13 PM	#10
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,850 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Basically another attempt at vendor lock in. You have to give them credit for trying

02-12-2009, 08:13 PM	#11
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,975 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	There is a "Description" MOBI metadata item, which is limited to 4000 characters. Also a "Review" (2000 characters). The Description is used by Windows MobiPocket Reader in its eBook view. I checked (using an ebook with a description), and the description metadata is not a menu item on the Kindle 1 with the latest firmware. Most MOBIs don't provide a description, so it isn't surprizing that the K2 is going to "call home" for the information.

02-12-2009, 08:23 PM	#12
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 43,850 Karma: 22666666 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	Amazon is going to make its book collection available to readers, it probably realizes it has to. In which case if it updated the metadata in all the books it sold, there would be no need to "call home" for the metadata. Unfortunately, instead of doing everybody a service and making the metadata available publicly, they locked it down on their servers where the terms of service mean that 3rd parties can get access to the metadata only if they use it to directly promote sales at Amazon.com

02-12-2009, 08:32 PM	#13
wallcraft reader Posts: 6,975 Karma: 5183568 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mississippi, USA Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD	I'm not sure Amazon is at fault in this case. The problem is that publishers control the content of ebooks, including the metadata. I think this is why mobi2mobi (say) can easily update the metadata in a MOBI, but MobiPocket puts any user-generated changes in the .mbp file (which is often over written, and typically isn't transferable between devices).

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02-12-2009, 10:34 PM	#14
S.Canton Groupie Posts: 174 Karma: 12 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Kindle 2	Good find, now to see if it's actually what we all believe it to be.