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How do もう and けど work in the bold sentence?

ー日本のガイド・ブックはありませんか。

ーはい、こちらです。

ーもう少しくわしい本の方がいいんですけど。

ーそうですか。それでは、こちらがいかがですか。

ーじゃ、これをおねがいします。

I think it means something like "but a little bit detailed book would be better" but I'm not sure.

Also, I don't understand how もう works here. According to this post もう has 2 meanings, and the one that fits here is "additional". So, the sentence would be something like "but additional a little detailed book would be better". To me it looks like the customer was not satisfied with what the seller shown him, therefore he wanted to get another book. Or did he want to buy 2 books (the one that the customer offered and another one)?

Also, I would like to know whether けど is really a thing here and has to be translated or not. As I read here, sometimes it can be used as a softener.

I think I get the general meaning of the sentence but I would like to know how it works.

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According to this post もう has 2 meanings, and the one that fits here is "additional". So, the sentence would be something like "but additional a little detailed book would be better".

Yes, you are right. Since we are talking about books, "more informative/detailed" might better suits with this situation.

To me it looks like the customer was not satisfied with what the seller shown him, therefore he wanted to get another book.

Yes. Therefore he and shopper engaged in this conversation.

ーもう少しくわしい本の方がいいんですけど。( I would rather like to purchase more informative ( ore more detailed ) book, please.

ーそうですか。それでは、こちらがいかがですか ( Alright, then, how about this one? )

Also, I would like to know whether けど is really a thing here and has to be translated or not. As I read here, sometimes it can be used as a softener.

I'n not sure what you try to mean by saying "a thing here." Here, けど/けれど is working as a softer as you said, avoiding the decisive tone that might the speaker offending to the shopper and telling the shopper your wishes ( I would rather like to.. ) indirect way.

Conclusion

ーもう少しくわしい本の方がいいんですけど。

As I said,「もう」「けど」are working as 「More informative/detailed」, 「I would like rather..., please」 than 「I want」respectively.

ーもう少しくわしい本の方がいいんですけど。

「I would rather like to purchase more informative/detailed book, please」

Have a nice day.

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  • thank your for such informative answer and for the translations. Now I understand it even better
    – Tawahachee
    Jan 26, 2019 at 22:33
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And here I am answering my own question again, using an answer from another forum.

I was wrong about 「もう」. Basically, it means here "more" and is used to emphasize the meaning of 「少し」.

・少し+くわしい本: a little detailed book

・もう+少し: a little more

・もう少しくわしい本: a little more detailed book

Considering this, the sentence can be translated as "(But) a little more detailed book would be better".

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  • but I still didn't figure out what 「けど」 means here. I feel like I understand it and it doesn't look as something odd or unnecessary, and yet I cannot explain it's use here. Maybe it was used here just as a conjunction which also serves as softener?
    – Tawahachee
    Jan 26, 2019 at 17:38
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    +1 But, 'but' should go at the end of the sentence. "A little more detailed book would be better, but ...", and then the rest of the sentence is left unsaid. You have to fill in the implied ending yourself. As Kentaro said, it acts to soften the impact of the fact that you're not satisfied.
    – user3856370
    Jan 27, 2019 at 8:16

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