Agentic Development: The Complete Guide to AI-Assisted Coding with Claude, Cursor, and Beyond

Transform how you build software. Stop treating AI as autocomplete—start working with it as a true development partner that plans, executes, verifies, and remembers across sessions. Agentic Development is the definitive guide to AI-assisted coding, taking you from basic tool adoption to building sophisticated autonomous workflows. Whether you're a developer adopting AI tools for the first time, a team lead evaluating AI-assisted development, or an IT leader making strategic technology decisions, this book provides actionable guidance you can implement immediately. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: • Context Management Systems — Give AI perfect memory with CLAUDE.md, SESSION_STATE.md, and structured project knowledge that persists across sessions • Prevention-First Development — Catch errors before they compound with pre-commit hooks, build verification loops, and dual-layer quality gates • Agent Mode Mastery — Unlock autonomous multi-step task execution while maintaining security and control • MCP Integration — Extend AI capabilities by connecting to databases, APIs, and external tools through the Model Context Protocol • Team Adoption Strategies — Scale AI-assisted development across your organization with proven frameworks and security best practices WHAT'S INSIDE: • 18 comprehensive chapters covering foundations through expert-level techniques • 5 practical appendices including quick reference cards and setup checklists • 25+ ready-to-use templates for context files, project configurations, and team standards • Complete setup scripts that work out of the box • A comprehensive prompt library for common development tasks Every technique in this book has been tested in production across real projects—from iOS applications to cloud infrastructure. The patterns work with Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, and other AI coding tools. WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR: • Developers — From first AI tool adoption to advanced autonomous workflows • Team Leads — Adoption strategies, team scaling, and productivity measurement • Architects — Enterprise patterns, security frameworks, and system design • IT Leaders — ROI analysis, risk assessment, and strategic planning Written by Brian R. Miller, Chief Information Security Officer at Healthfirst and recognized Top 100 CISO, this book brings real-world enterprise experience to AI-assisted development. With 13 years advising the Department of Defense, NSA, and federal intelligence agencies, Brian provides the security-conscious perspective essential for modern software development. Start building software the way it was meant to be built—with AI as your partner.