The Developer's Guide to AI - Softcover

Jacob Orshalick; Jerry Mannel Reghunadh; Danny Thompson

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1718504764 ISBN 13: 9781718504769

Publisher: No Starch Press, 2026

Synopsis

A practical, accessible guide that shows working software developers how to integrate real AI features into the applications they already build—using JavaScript, Python, APIs, and modern cloud services, without needing a data-science background. Working developers everywhere now use AI tools, but most still struggle to turn prompts and prototypes into reliable software features. The Developer’s Guide to AI teaches engineers how to build real, maintainable AI capabilities using the tools they already know—JavaScript, Python, APIs, vector search, and simple agent workflows—without advanced math or machine learning. Readers learn where AI belongs in an application, how to design around real-world constraints like latency and cost, and how to avoid the brittle prototypes that fail under changing requirements. With clear examples and production-focused patterns, this book helps developers ship AI features that last.

About this title

About the Author

Jacob Orshalick has over 20 years in software development, including 16+ as an independent consultant for startups to Fortune 500 companies. A seasoned technologist, he’s led high-impact projects, revitalized struggling initiatives, and co-authored Seam Framework: Experience the Evolution of Java EE. Orshalick speaks regularly at conferences and shares his work at focus.dev.

Edition details

• Publisher: No Starch Press
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1718504764
• ISBN 13: 9781718504769
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336