# Books by Alex Merced

> A curated library of 66 books by Alex Merced spanning technology (AI, data lakehouses, Apache Iceberg), economics and philosophy, fiction, and tabletop RPGs. All books are available on Amazon.

Alex Merced is a Data Lakehouse Evangelist and prolific author. Learn more at [whoisalexmerced.com](https://whoisalexmerced.com), [alexmercedmedia.com](https://alexmercedmedia.com), or [alexmerced.com](https://alexmerced.com).

## Site Structure

Every book has a dedicated page at `https://books.alexmerced.com/books/<slug>/` with a description, publisher info, and Amazon buy link. The full catalog is listed in the [sitemap](https://books.alexmerced.com/sitemap.xml).

Flagship publisher titles:
- [Apache Iceberg: The Definitive Guide (O'Reilly)](https://books.alexmerced.com/books/apache-iceberg-the-definitive-guide/)
- [Apache Polaris: The Definitive Guide (O'Reilly)](https://books.alexmerced.com/books/apache-polaris-the-definitive-guide/)
- [Architecting an Apache Iceberg Lakehouse (Manning)](https://books.alexmerced.com/books/architecting-an-apache-iceberg-lakehouse/)

The homepage also includes a FAQ covering which book to start with, the differences between the Apache Iceberg books, and where to buy.

## Tech Books

- [Apache Iceberg: The Definitive Guide](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1098148622): Guide to Apache Iceberg and modern lakehouse architecture.
- [Architecting an Apache Iceberg Lakehouse](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1633435105): Architecture patterns for building Iceberg-based data platforms.
- [Apache Polaris: The Definitive Guide](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FBRJ7J1Y): Guide to open catalogs for Iceberg lakehouses.
- [The Book on Using Apache Iceberg with Python](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GNZ454FF): Hands-on guide using Iceberg with Python tools.
- [The 2026 Guide to Lakehouses, Apache Iceberg and Agentic AI](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQNY21TD): Comprehensive guide to lakehouse architecture and AI.
- [The Book on Agentic Analytics](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQN4Q41Y): Foundations of agentic data architecture.
- [Enabling Agentic Analytics with Apache Iceberg and Dremio](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQXT6W3N): Building AI-ready lakehouse systems.
- [Using AI Agents for Data Engineering and Data Analysis](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GR6PYJT9): Practical guide to AI-driven workflows.
- [The AI Engineering Handbook](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GSS4R9FK): Full-stack reference for AI systems.
- [AI-Ready Data](https://www.amazon.com/AI-Ready-Data-Designing-Platforms-Agents/dp/B0GSN7GLH2/ref=sr_1_3): Designing Data Platforms for LLMs, Agents, and RAG.
- [The 2026 Guide to AI-Assisted Development](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQW7CTML): Prompt engineering and agent workflows.
- [Apache Iceberg for Agentic AI](https://www.amazon.com/Apache-Iceberg-Agentic-Connecting-Structured-ebook/dp/B0DYTX2WZY/ref=sr_1_8): Enabling Agentic AI on an Iceberg Lakehouse.
- [The Agentic Enterprise](https://www.amazon.com/Agentic-Enterprise-Deploying-Agents-Organization/dp/B0GSN3NNS5/ref=sr_1_16): Deploying AI Agents Across the Modern Organization.
- [Constructing Context and Semantics for AI Agents](https://www.amazon.com/Constructing-Context-Semantics-Agents-Embeddings/dp/B0GSHRZNZ5/ref=sr_1_21): A practical guide to embeddings, knowledge graphs, memory, RAG, and production agent systems.
- [The Open Source Lakehouse](https://www.amazon.com/Open-Source-Lakehouse-Architecting-Analytical-ebook/dp/B0D46P3VB7/ref=sr_1_17): Architecting the Decoupled Analytical Foundation.
- [Evaluating AI Systems](https://www.amazon.com/Evaluating-AI-Systems-Testing-Agents/dp/B0GSVPQ667/ref=sr_1_19): Testing LLMs, RAG, and Agents.
- [The Economics of Labor in the AI Era](https://www.amazon.com/Economics-Labor-Era-Disruption-Adaptation/dp/B0GSQSL344/ref=sr_1_20): Disruption, Adaptation, and the Future of Work.
- [Governing AI Systems](https://www.amazon.com/Governing-AI-Systems/dp/B0GSMVQ1TH/ref=sr_1_21): How to best govern AI systems.
- [Shipping AI](https://www.amazon.com/Shipping-AI-Prototype-Production-Systems/dp/B0GSR2GRZX/ref=sr_1_22): From Prototype to Production Systems.
- [Building Knowledge Systems for AI](https://www.amazon.com/Building-Knowledge-Systems-AI-Context/dp/B0GSWFSSRC/ref=sr_1_27): Graphs, RAG, Memory, and Context.
- [The AI Lakehouse](https://www.amazon.com/AI-Lakehouse-Architecting-Data-Platforms/dp/B0GSMQ6M2J/ref=sr_1_29): Architecting Data Platforms for AI.
- [AI Application Architecture](https://www.amazon.com/AI-Application-Architecture-Patterns-Intelligent/dp/B0GSVFT3H4/ref=sr_1_35): Patterns for Building Intelligent Systems.
- [The Economics of AI](https://www.amazon.com/Economics-AI-Latency-Infrastructure-Tradeoffs/dp/B0GSPGSKXC/ref=sr_1_36): Cost, Latency, and Infrastructure Tradeoffs.
- [Alex Merced's Field Guide to Developer Relations](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H15CJLNG): A practical guide to developer relations, community building, and technical evangelism.
- [AI and Agents for Normal People](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H59GBTMW): A practical guide to using AI tools for everyday tasks without technical jargon.
- [The No Lock-in Apache Iceberg Lakehouse with Agentic Analytics](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H49TDNX3): Building a portable Apache Iceberg lakehouse with open catalogs and agentic analytics.
- [Being Productive with Google AI](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H77DBD83): A practical guide to using Google's AI ecosystem including Gemini, NotebookLM, Veo, Gemini Spark, and Jules.
- [Being Productive with Open Models](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H76JQ55R): A practical guide to using open models with Opencode, PI, and Hermes for AI-assisted development.
- [Being Productive with Claude](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H76BTLMF): A practical guide to Claude.ai, Claude Code, and Claude Dispatch for AI-powered development.
- [Being Productive with OpenAI Codex](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H766477L): A practical guide to building documents, images, video, websites, and apps with an AI agent using OpenAI Codex.
- [Being Productive with Grok and Cursor](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H7Z6RS5Y): The practical guide to the xAI and Cursor ecosystem for agentic coding workflows.
- [Being Productive with Microsoft Copilot](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H7WZ19NJ): The practical guide to the Microsoft Copilot ecosystem across M365, Windows, GitHub, and Studio.
- [The Book on Data, Data Engineering, Data Analytics, and Agentic AI - Volume 2](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GZVJB6ML): A complete guide to SQL analytics, BI, and agentic AI for modern data platforms.
- [The Book on Data, Data Engineering, Data Analytics, and Agentic AI - Volume 1](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GZTXJQ1C): A complete guide to modern data systems, data engineering, analytics, and AI.
- [Dremio and the Semantic Layer](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GWF7PFDG): The journey to providing meaning and context for AI with Dremio's semantic layer.
- [Hands-On Agentic Engineering](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GWTZ1394): A practical guide to building multi-agent systems with Apache Iceberg.
- [The Lakehouse Built for Everyone](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GYL5Q5YV): From laptop prototypes to enterprise-scale agentic AI with Apache Iceberg and Dremio.
- [The Book on Apache Polaris](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GZDVCV24): Building the open data lakehouse with the industry standard Iceberg REST catalog.
- [Reputation as Code](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HHXV4L42): How technical professionals build career sovereignty through public artifacts, repeatable content pipelines, modular output, and authentic community generosity.

## Economics & Philosophy Books

- [Economic Ideas: From Beginning to Early 2026](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQQ68F63): History of economic thought through the AI era.
- [The Field Guide to Libertarianism](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQV4CK5B): Understanding libertarian ideas and debates.
- [The Field Guide to Political Thought and Debates in the United States](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GTV6ZWHX): Maps the terrain of American political thought — conservative, progressive, and libertarian — so you can understand why people across the table believe what they believe.
- [The Libertarian Heart](https://www.amazon.com/dp/035975211X): Philosophy of consent and individual peace.
- [Profits are Generosity, Entrepreneurship is Philanthropy](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1387798421): Economic philosophy of voluntary exchange.

## Fiction Books

- [The Semantic Rebellion](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GPMNX78W): A data engineer's journey through a changing world.
- [The Emperors of A.I. Valley](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQHKF4ZT): Power struggles in an AI-dominated future.
- [The Federation of Tides](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GPRBTV6W): Epic journey of a narwhal seeking knowledge.
- [Plastic Punk](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQGRFW2H): A journey through economic systems.
- [Embers of Claim](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQGW7VCY): Epic fantasy beginning of a trilogy.
- [Crowns and Wings](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQGHYL79): Second book in epic fantasy trilogy.
- [Thrones of Ash and Sky](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQCHRYHV): Final book of trilogy.
- [Tales of Fur and Sky: Echoes of the Ages](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQGRGH93): Companion to the trilogy.
- [Signal and Noise](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HDDN968Z): Twelve years of long-distance connection, one hour to face it.
- [Celestial Fragments: The Duel of Souls](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HD831HR9): Fragments of ancient love and hate collide in a modern political duel.
- [Adventures in Love and Flooding](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HG3YM4QW): A romantic action thriller about disaster capitalism, AI, and ordinary competence.
- [The Last Continue](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HG5TGQBV): A novel about finishing things, and what a finished life is for.

## Optional

- [Alex Merced's YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@alexmerceddata): Video content on data engineering and lakehouses.
- [Substack Newsletter](https://amdatalakehouse.substack.com/): Data lakehouse insights and updates.
- [Datanation Podcast on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/3KHzqR9eFW6bJ1Tqoh2juM): Podcast covering data topics.

## Events
- [Agentic Lakehouse Events](https://luma.com/agenticlakehouse): Global meetups and webinars on agentic analytics
- [Data Lakehouse Hub Events](https://luma.com/DataLakehouseHub): Global lakehouse meetups, linkups, and webinars

## Community
- [Data Lakehouse Hub Slack](https://join.slack.com/t/thedatalakehousehub/shared_invite/zt-274yc8sza-mI2zhCW8LGkOh1uxuf8T5Q): Practitioner community for lakehouse architecture
- [Data Events Slack](https://join.slack.com/t/data-events/shared_invite/zt-38vgrooy9-U9ral_gr3NAz_Siih1QwmQ): Announcements for data conferences and meetups
- [Data & Tech Slack](https://join.slack.com/t/datatechcommunity/shared_invite/zt-12xrk4qmd-y~6jUFFd7kdaLhgLURKwoA): Broader data and technology community
- [r/datalakehouseandai](https://www.reddit.com/r/datalakehouseandai/): Subreddit for data lakehouse and AI discussion
- [Data Lakehouse Hub on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/data-lakehouse-hub/): Company page for the Data Lakehouse Hub
- [Alex Merced Tech on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@AlexMercedCoder): Software development and engineering channel
- [Alex Merced Data & AI on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@alexmerceddata): Data lakehouse and AI channel