{"product_id":"beyond-the-chatbot-lena-mercer-9798192598795","title":"Beyond the Chatbot: A Practical Guide to Agentic AI and the Agents That Plan, Decide, and Act","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAI is moving beyond conversation. The next generation of systems can plan, decide, use tools, and take action. The question is simple: how do you actually use them?\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eBeyond the Chatbot\u003c\/i\u003e is a practical, plain-English guide to agentic AI, the emerging class of AI systems designed to pursue goals, complete multi-step tasks, use digital tools, remember context, and adjust when things do not go as planned.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eYou do not need to be a programmer, data scientist, or AI expert to understand what is happening.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this book, Lena Mercer explains how AI agents work, what makes them different from ordinary chatbots and traditional automation, where they are already being used, and how individuals and businesses can begin applying them responsibly today.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eInside, you will learn: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat agentic AI is and how it differs from generative AI, chatbots, and traditional automation\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eHow AI agents plan, make decisions, use tools, and evaluate their own progress\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhy goals, memory, permissions, and feedback are essential to agentic systems\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eHow a single AI model can become part of a larger agentic workflow\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhere agents can help with research, communication, operations, planning, and repetitive work\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eHow to identify tasks that are good candidates for AI agents\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen to keep a human in the loop and when greater autonomy may make sense\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eHow to think about privacy, security, hallucinations, bias, and other real-world risks\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat multi-agent systems are and why multiple specialized agents may sometimes work better than one\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cp\u003eHow to start experimenting with agentic AI using tools and platforms available today\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe book also includes practical frameworks, task-selection exercises, autonomy guidelines, permission checklists, a 30-day pilot framework, and a plain-language glossary to help turn abstract AI concepts into usable decisions.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is not a book about replacing people with machines or predicting an inevitable AI future. It is a grounded guide to understanding a technology that is already beginning to change how digital work gets done.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf you have used tools such as ChatGPT and wondered, \u003cb\u003e\"What comes next?\"\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBeyond the Chatbot\u003c\/i\u003e will show you where AI is headed and how to start thinking beyond the prompt.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eUnderstand the agents. Choose the right tasks. Set the right boundaries. Learn how to put agentic AI to work.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Lena Mercer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798192598795\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Independently Published\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 08\/14\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 136\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.42lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.29d","brand":"Lena Mercer","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":50921691840767,"sku":"9798192598795","price":12.47,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/beyond-the-chatbot-lena-mercer-9798192598795","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}