AI Agents in Action versus Building LLMs for Production.
Both show up on every "best" list. They're not competitors. They're a sequence. Here's which one to read first, and when.
Reviewed by Ashish Sheth · Updated May 2026
Option B
Building LLMs for Production
Louis-François Bouchard, Louie Peters · 2024
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Author
Micheal Lanham
Louis-François Bouchard, Louie Peters
Pages
344
463
Published
2025
2024
Publisher
Manning Publications
Towards AI
Level
intermediate
intermediate
Amazon Rating
4.1/5 (35)
4.8/5 (23)
Goodreads Rating
3.11/5 (74)
4.11/5 (53)
AI Agents in Action
Strengths
+ Practical, code-first approach with runnable examples throughout
+ Manning's quality editing makes it more readable than rushed competitors
+ Covers OpenAI Assistants, AutoGen, and LangChain in one volume
+ Author's game-AI background brings useful patterns (behavior trees) to LLM agents
Caveats
− Some readers find the OpenAI Assistants focus dating quickly
− Coverage of newer agent frameworks (LangGraph, CrewAI) is thinner than expected
− Code examples occasionally hit API breakage as providers evolve
Building LLMs for Production
Strengths
+ Clear explanations with simple analogies for complex concepts
+ Practical code examples using LangChain and LlamaIndex
+ Strong chapters on fine-tuning, quantization, and distillation
+ Endorsed by Jerry Liu (CEO of LlamaIndex) as most comprehensive LLM apps textbook
Caveats
− Title says 'Production' but lacks depth on actual hosting and serving infrastructure
− Reads more as applied research than a practical engineering guide
− Better as a reference than a cover-to-cover read
The verdict
Building LLMs for Production is the stronger pick overall, but AI Agents in Action may suit you better if you're a developers building their first AI agents.
AI Agents in Action
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Building LLMs for Production
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Frequently asked
Which is better, AI Agents in Action or Building LLMs for Production?
Building LLMs for Production is the stronger pick overall, but AI Agents in Action may suit you better if you're a developers building their first AI agents.
How is AI Agents in Action different from Building Agentic AI Systems?
Lanham's book is more code-first and beginner-friendly. Biswas/Talukdar's book is more architectural and patterns-focused. Read Lanham to build, Biswas to design.
Is Building LLMs for Production good for beginners?
You need basic Python and some understanding of what LLMs are. It's not a first-ever AI book, but it starts from fundamentals and builds up.