Agentic AI for Engineers - by Dhivya Nagasubramanian (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

As AI rapidly evolves from passive models to autonomous systems capable of setting goals, reasoning, and acting independently, engineers find themselves at the threshold of a new technological era. This book serves as a bridge--connecting the world of traditional engineering to the emerging domain of Agentic AI. It is crafted for hands-on professionals who may not have formal training in AI but are eager to build the next generation of intelligent, goal-driven systems.

The journey begins with foundational concepts: what it truly means for a system to exhibit agency, how autonomy differs from automation, and why this distinction matters in practice. Early chapters lay down the necessary groundwork in machine learning and generative AI, allowing readers to appreciate the architecture that enables agentic behavior. From there, the book dives into system design patterns, prompting strategies, and the most influential tools shaping the agentic AI landscape--from LangChain to CrewAI. Practical guidance is provided on engineering agents that are not only capable but also aligned, safe, and robust in dynamic environments. The third chapter shifts into applied engineering: readers are walked step-by-step through building their first AI agent, supported by real-world examples, feedback loop design, and deployment practices that mirror how modern autonomous systems are built.

By the final chapter, readers will not only understand agentic systems--they will be ready to build, evaluate, and evolve them. The book closes by addressing the road ahead: open challenges in ethics, unpredictability, and system alignment, along with a roadmap for engineers who want to actively contribute to the field. Whether you're building automation today or preparing for the autonomy of tomorrow, Agentic AI for Engineers equips you with the knowledge, tools, and mindset to lead in the era of intelligent agents.

What You Will Learn

A practical introduction to Machine Learning and Generative AI, tailored for engineers Conceptualize, design, and build autonomous AI agents from scratch--even with a minimal AI background. The core principles of Agentic AI, including goals, environments, actions, and feedback loops Understand different Agentic AI frameworks and their applications. Integrate agentic systems into real-world applications using hands-on coding examples Review strategies for ensuring safe, ethical, and auditable agent behavior in production environments

Who This Book Is For

Primary audience includes Software Engineers, DevOps, and Data Engineers curious about building intelligent, autonomous systems but who lack formal AI training; Technical Product Managers and Engineering Leaders looking to understand and implement Agentic AI in real-world systems; System Architects and Automation Engineers exploring the shift from traditional automation to intelligent agent-based architectures.

AI/ML Enthusiasts and self-learners, Engineering and computer science students, and professionals in emerging tech domains who want to build or deploy autonomous agents will also benefit from this book.

About the Author

Dhivya Nagasubramanian is an AI/ML practitioner with extensive experience leading digital transformation and automation initiatives in the financial services sector. In her current role, she focuses on delivering practical, business-aligned AI solutions at scale.

Her background spans a range of roles across information technology, data science, enterprise architecture, and engineering. Over the years, she has worked on building and deploying AI systems that solve complex, real-world problems--particularly in environments where reliability, compliance, and scale matter.

Dhivya holds a postgraduate degree in Business Analytics and has completed executive coursework in business communication from Harvard. She actively participates and volunteers at Women in AI community and Executive council for leading change where she contributes to ongoing discussions around AI strategy, education, and innovation. This book brings together her practical perspective on Agentic AI and aims to make the topic approachable for engineers looking to get started in the field.