Learning routes

The parts are complementary, not a mandatory sequence. Part I is the natural foundation. The others link back to it for what they do not re-teach, so you can start at the question you have.

The recommended full reading order

For a reader who wants the whole arc, from a bounded agent to financial authority:

1. Orientation. All of it, especially Models, tools, capability, identity and authority.
2. Part I, foundations. The learning path, Follow one request, then concepts 1–8 alongside labs 01–10.
3. Part II, durability. The runtime learning path, the run lifecycle walkthrough, then lessons R1–R8.
4. Part III, governed decisions. The applied learning path, lessons A1–A4, the decision walkthrough, then A5–A6 and the adversarial-data lesson.
5. Part IV, cryptographic capability. The learning path, lessons C1–C8, then the secret lifecycle walkthrough.
6. Part V, financial workflow. The course, lessons 1–16 in order, with the exercises as you go.
7. Part VI. The comparison chapters, then the design exercise.

Do each part's challenges when you finish it. Part VI depends on all five parts.

Independent routes

Each route below starts from one question and gives the shortest path to an answer, plus the prerequisites it assumes.

"I need to build a production agent."

• Start: Part I introduction, then the learning path.
• Core: concepts 1–8, labs 01–10, Anti-patterns.
• Adapt it: Extending the template, Limitations.
• Prerequisites: none beyond the book's general ones.

"My agent loses work, or does things twice, after a restart."

• Start: Part II introduction.
• Core: run lifecycle walkthrough, R2, R3, R6, R7.
• Prerequisites: Part I stages 0–3 (the model as a component, the agent loop, tool calling, MCP).

"The model must not be the one who decides."

• Start: Part III introduction.
• Core: A1, A2, A5, A6, Follow one decision.
• Prerequisites: Part I, especially human-in-the-loop and Approvals.

"An agent needs a key, or something that only a key can do."

• Start: Part IV introduction.
• Core: C1, C4, C6, C7, Secret lifecycle walkthrough.
• Prerequisites: Part I stage 3 (MCP as a capability boundary); basic cryptographic vocabulary.

"Agents will touch money in our business workflow."

• Start: Part V introduction, then the course.
• Core: lessons 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 14 and 15, and AI capability is not authority.
• Prerequisites: reading Elixir. Part I concept 8 and Part III lesson A5 help.

"I already know the parts. Show me how they fit together."

• Part VI, then the design exercise.

Time

Rough reading times, excluding labs: