Google NotebookLM has added new features that may come in handy for students and professionals to study and brainstorm ideas with the help of its AI-powered tools. For the uninitiated, NotebookLM is one of the most advanced AI-powered research and writing tools. It is integrated with Google Gemini, which allows it to ingest vast amounts of data, such as PDFs, Google Docs, websites, Google Sheets, YouTube videos, and more. The tool is capable of breaking down information into easier formats to aid users.
NotebookLM has launched its latest tool, ‘Featured notebooks’, in collaboration with writers, researchers, and non-profits. The new feature provides a carefully selected selection of notebooks covering a range of subjects, such as parenting, Shakespeare, lifestyle guidance, and more. These notebooks are a convenient way for users to explore NotebookLM’s possibilities. It essentially eliminates the need for copying or vigorously taking notes.
One can use NotebookLM to summarise key points from all their sources, create a detailed mind map, or even make a podcast where two AI-generated hosts discuss the material provided in a conversational way. Among all the AI apps available, NotebookLM is one of the most useful and educational, and now it’s becoming even more resourceful with the latest feature.
In a post on X, Steven Johnson, NotebookLM’s editorial director, said, “For newcomers to NotebookLM, the notebooks are a preview of how useful the product can be when you’ve assembled a collection of sources for whatever project you’re working on. But it’s also a preview of a potential future where there are thousands of expert-curated notebooks on all sorts of topics that you can add to your own collection to have the knowledge you need on tap.”
For most users, @NotebookLM is a tool for understanding and exploring project-based information.
But we also think it could be a distribution platform, amplifying expert knowledge.
Today we’re offering a preview of that vision: Featured Notebooks.
Here’s the backstory…
In a… pic.twitter.com/0MkPf3DWvn
— Steven Johnson (@stevenbjohnson) July 14, 2025
Some notable highlights include learning about all of Shakespeare’s well-known plays from the 16th and 17th centuries with William Shakespeare: The Complete Plays. Eric Opol’s Secrets of the Super Agers, which gives longevity and health advice, and The Atlantic’s How to Build a Life, which offers guidance on how to “lead a happier and more fulfilling life”.
So far, this new curated notebook tool has been great for testing and exploring NotebookLM’s potential. And if the user is interested in English playwrights and poets, the Shakespeare-featured notebook provides a wealth of information and resources for studying and comprehending the author’s vast body of work, which includes Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet. NotebookLM also has an Audio Overview function that allows the user to listen to audio from anywhere.
In the future, Google intends to provide more highlighted notebooks, including further pieces from its collaboration with The Atlantic and The Economist. Google has introduced the option for users to publish their notebooks with a publicly shareable URL in addition to featured notebooks. Since its launch four weeks ago, more than 140,000 public notebooks have been shared, according to Google.
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