F.4 — Reading paths
Front matter — Level 0. Product details verified on 22/06/2026 against official sources.
Goal
By the end you will know where to start and which chapters to follow based on your objective. The book covers a lot: this chapter saves you from reading everything in order when there’s no need.
Read by jumping, not necessarily in a row
The chapters are ordered by increasing level, but you’re not obliged to follow them linearly. Those who don’t program can skip the development levels; those who develop can move quickly through the foundations. Below you’ll find three ready-made itineraries, each designed for a different objective. They all start from the front matter (F) and close with the final project (C.1), so you see a complete case.
The three paths
Table F.4.1 — Three itineraries depending on the objective.
| Path | For whom | Itinerary |
|---|---|---|
| Cowork only | non-technical | F → L1 → L3 → L5 → C.1 |
| Code/Design | developers | F → L2 → L4 → L6 → C.1 |
| From scratch | first project | F → L1 → L2 → L4 → C.1 |
Cowork only. For those who want to put Claude to work on their own files without touching the terminal. After the chat foundations (L1), move on to daily work with Cowork and Projects (L3), then to Skills to give Claude your voice (L5).
Code/Design only. For those who develop or design interfaces. Install the local tools (L2), work with Design and the bridge to code (L4), then push into advanced automations and integrations (L6).
From scratch to your first project. For those starting from zero who want to reach a concrete result. Foundations (L1), installation (L2) and the Design part useful for building something real (L4).
Tip: if you don’t know where you fit, follow “From scratch”: it touches the essential points of every area and leaves you free to go deeper later.
The icon legend
In the chapters, a margin icon flags which path that content is most useful for. They help you find your bearings at a glance.
- Cowork: key content for the non-technical path.
- Code/Design: key content for those who develop or design.
- From scratch: recommended stop for those starting as beginners.
A chapter can have more than one icon: it means it’s useful for more than one path. The absence of icons indicates cross-cutting material, valid for everyone.
Jumping without getting lost
Every chapter opens with a Prerequisites section: it tells you what to take as given and which chapters to return to if a piece is missing. It’s the safety net that lets you jump. If you enter a chapter and the prerequisites are clear to you, go ahead; otherwise you recover only what you need, without rereading everything.
In the same way, the “see ch. X” cross-references are not obligations: they indicate where to find a deeper discussion if you need it at that moment. You can ignore them and come back later.
Where you end up
All paths converge on the closing of the book. Ch. C.1 is an end-to-end project that runs across the levels on a real case: there you see the pieces working together. The appendices (ch. C.2) collect a glossary, troubleshooting and official links, to consult when needed rather than read in sequence.
Summary
- The chapters are by level, but you can read them by jumping.
- Three paths: Cowork only, Code/Design, From scratch.
- They all start from F and close with the final project C.1.
- A margin icon indicates which path a piece of content serves most.
- When in doubt, follow “From scratch”.
Next step
Begin Level 1 with ch. L1.1 — First contact: open Claude, send your first message and learn how to read an answer.