Books
Explore my published works on technology, economics, philosophy, and fiction.
Architecting an Apache Iceberg Lakehouse
Architecture patterns for building Iceberg-based data platforms.
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The Book on Using Apache Iceberg with Python
Hands-on guide using Iceberg with Python tools.
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The 2026 Guide to Lakehouses, Apache Iceberg and Agentic AI
Comprehensive guide to lakehouse architecture and AI.
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Enabling Agentic Analytics with Apache Iceberg and Dremio
Building AI-ready lakehouse systems.
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Using AI Agents for Data Engineering and Data Analysis
Practical guide to AI-driven workflows.
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Apache Iceberg for Agentic AI: Connecting Structured Enterprise
Enabling Agentic AI on an Iceberg Lakehouse.
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The Agentic Enterprise: Deploying AI Agents Across the Modern Organization
Prompt engineering and agent workflows.
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Constructing Context and Semantics for AI Agents
A Practical Guide to Embeddings, Knowledge Graphs, Memory, RAG, Evaluation, and Production Agent Systems
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Evaluating AI Systems: Testing LLMs, RAG, and Agents
How to properly test and evaluate AI systems
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The Economics of Labor in the AI Era
Disruption, Adaptation, and the Future of Work
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Shipping AI: From Prototype to Production Systems
How to deploy AI systems that scale
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Building Knowledge Systems for AI: Graphs, RAG, Memory, and Context
Building Robust AI Systems
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The AI Lakehouse: Architecting Data Platforms for AI
Building AI Systems on a Data Lakehouse
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AI Application Architecture: Patterns for Building Intelligent Systems
The Architecture of an AI Application
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The Economics of AI: Cost, Latency, and Infrastructure Tradeoffs
Understanding the Costs of AI and how to Optimize them
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Alex Merced's Field Guide to Developer Relations
A practical guide to developer relations, community building, and technical evangelism.
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Economic Ideas: From Beginning to Early 2026
History of economic thought through the AI era.
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The Field Guide to Libertarianism
Understanding libertarian ideas and debates.
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The Field Guide to Political Thought and Debates in the United States
Maps the terrain of American political thought — conservative, progressive, and libertarian — so you can understand why people across the table believe what they believe.
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The Semantic Rebellion
A sci-fi novel following a data engineer's journey through a rapidly changing world shaped by AI and shifting power dynamics.
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The Emperors of A.I. Valley
A near-future thriller exploring power struggles, corporate intrigue, and moral dilemmas in an AI-dominated Silicon Valley.
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The Federation of Tides
An epic fantasy adventure following a narwhal on a journey seeking knowledge across oceanic civilizations.
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Plastic Punk
A genre-bending novel exploring economic systems, societal structures, and individual agency in a stylized world.
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Embers of Claim
The first book in an epic fantasy trilogy, introducing a world of competing kingdoms, ancient magic, and rising conflict.
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Crowns and Wings
The second book in the epic fantasy trilogy, deepening the political intrigue and expanding the world's mythology.
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Thrones of Ash and Sky
The concluding volume of the trilogy, bringing the saga of kingdoms, magic, and destiny to its climax.
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Tales of Fur and Sky: Echoes of the Ages
A companion volume to the fantasy trilogy, expanding the lore with standalone tales set in the same world.
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AI and Agents for Normal People
A practical guide to using AI tools for everyday tasks, covering Gemini, NotebookLM, ChatGPT, Claude, and local agent workflows without technical jargon.
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The No Lock-in Apache Iceberg Lakehouse with Agentic Analytics
A practical guide to building a portable Apache Iceberg lakehouse with open catalogs, agentic analytics, and AI-ready data platforms while avoiding vendor lock-in.
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Being Productive with Google AI
A practical guide to using Google's AI ecosystem including Gemini, NotebookLM, Veo, Gemini Spark, and Jules.
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Being Productive with Open Models
A practical guide to using open models with Opencode, PI, and Hermes for AI-assisted development.
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Being Productive with Claude
A practical guide to Claude.ai, Claude Code, and Claude Dispatch for AI-powered development.
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Being Productive with OpenAI Codex
A practical guide to building documents, images, video, websites, and apps with an AI agent using OpenAI Codex.
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The Book on Data, Data Engineering, Data Analytics, and Agentic AI - Volume 2
A complete guide to SQL analytics, BI, and agentic AI for modern data platforms.
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The Book on Data, Data Engineering, Data Analytics, and Agentic AI - Volume 1
A complete guide to modern data systems, data engineering, analytics, and AI.
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Dremio and the Semantic Layer
The journey to providing meaning and context for AI with Dremio's semantic layer.
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Hands-On Agentic Engineering
A practical guide to building multi-agent systems with Apache Iceberg.
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The Lakehouse Built for Everyone
From laptop prototypes to enterprise-scale agentic AI with Apache Iceberg and Dremio.
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The Book on Apache Polaris
Building the open data lakehouse with the industry standard Iceberg REST catalog.
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Apache Polaris: The Definitive Guide
Guide to open catalogs for Iceberg lakehouses.
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Apache Iceberg: The Definitive Guide
Guide to Apache Iceberg and modern lakehouse architecture.
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The Open Source Lakehouse: Architecting the Decoupled Analytical Foundation
Building a Lakehouse using Open Source
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The Libertarian Heart
A philosophical exploration of consent, individual peace, and the moral foundations of a free society.
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Profits are Generosity, Entrepreneurship is Philanthropy
An economic philosophy book arguing that voluntary exchange and entrepreneurship are the most generous forms of social contribution.
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