Thinking Machines

A Practical Guide to AI, Large Language Models and How to Use Them

For students, professionals, business owners and curious minds

Pre-order · releases 15 Dec 2026

Paperback prices include all taxes; shipping is a flat ₹60 per order within India. PDF ebooks: 18% GST added at checkout.

Format

Paperback · PDF ebook

Size

170 × 240 mm

Pages

182 (paperback)

Language

English

Edition

First Edition, 2026

Release date

15/12/2026

ISBN

To be announced

Understand it. Use it. Use it well.

Written for students, job seekers, working professionals, teachers, small business owners and anyone curious about the AI tools changing everyday life in India, this practical guide explains how artificial intelligence and large language models work, and shows how to use them confidently, productively and responsibly.

What you will learn

Understand AI, machine learning, deep learning and generative AI in plain language
Think like a computer: algorithms, flowcharts, block coding and a gentle start with Python
Read, clean, analyse and chart data, and judge whether it can be trusted
See how machines learn, how models are measured and how neural networks see and listen
Learn how large language models work, and why they sometimes make things up
Write better prompts and use AI for writing, research, data, translation and business
Build assistants and automations, use AI responsibly and plan an AI career

Includes 42 illustrated figures and example screens, 61 case studies, 14 real-life scenarios, self-check questions, prompt templates and worksheets, plus a career roadmap with jobs, pay, qualifications and business ideas.

Meeting artificial intelligence
Thinking like a computer
A gentle start with Python
Understanding data
Preparing data
Reading data: statistics and charts
How machines learn
Seeing, hearing and understanding
Inside large language models
The art of prompting
AI at work and in daily life
AI across Indian sectors
Building with AI
Using AI responsibly
Careers and the future with AI

Plus reference tables, glossary, self-check answers, ready-to-use templates and real-life scenarios.

Employment direction

Where this book can take you

Every guide ends with a career roadmap: jobs, typical starting pay, how careers grow, recognised qualifications, where to find work, business ideas and a 90-day action plan.

Job	Where you work	Starting pay / month: tier-1 cities*	Tier-2 cities*
AI data annotator / labeller	AI companies, data service firms	₹16,000–26,000	₹12,000–19,000
AI operations / prompt specialist	Companies adopting AI, agencies	₹50,000–80,000at top tech employers; many freshers start lower	₹18,000–40,000
Data analyst (junior)	Companies of all sizes	₹50,000–75,000at top tech employers; many freshers start lower	₹18,000–38,000
AI content and quality reviewer	AI and content companies	₹18,000–28,000	₹13,000–20,000
Machine learning engineer (after further study)	Tech companies	₹60,000–95,000at top tech employers; many freshers start lower	₹32,000–60,000

Build your base: from practice to the job

New to the field? Employers hire freshers who can already do the basic tasks safely and correctly. This book builds that foundation through practice, not just reading: here is what you will be able to do from your first day at work.

On the jobWrite prompts that get reliable resultsHow this book builds it

Prompt patterns, templates and worksheets

On the jobPrepare and read dataHow this book builds it

Data cleaning, statistics and charts practised in Python

On the jobUse AI tools for everyday office workHow this book builds it

Writing, research, summarising and automation tasks

On the jobCheck AI output and use it responsiblyHow this book builds it

Verification steps and real-life AI scenarios

Understand the whyEach chapter explains how things work before how to do them, so you can handle situations the book never mentions.
Practise hands-onFollow the step-by-step tasks, checklists and templates on real tools, real customers or real data.
Test yourselfUse the skills check: aim for 3 or 4 on every task, and work through the real-life scenarios.
Show your proofKeep your skills record, photos and projects as a portfolio for interviews and your first employer.

How your career grows

Entry: Annotator, AI-enabled office roles
Skilled: Data analyst, AI specialist
Senior: Senior analyst, ML engineer
Lead / founder: AI product lead, consultant

Get qualified

Free AI courses and certificates from recognised platforms, universities and government programmes
Python and SQL basics for data roles
A portfolio of AI-assisted projects: automations, analyses, prompt libraries

Start on your own

AI automation service for small businesses (start-up about ₹30,000–1 lakh)
AI training workshops for offices and schools (start-up about ₹20,000–80,000)
Data cleaning and analysis freelance service (start-up about ₹30,000–80,000)

*Typical starting pay per month for the first 0–2 years, reviewed in October 2026 against Glassdoor and Indeed India salary data. Tier-1: metro cities such as Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune and Kolkata. Tier-2: cities such as Jaipur, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Coimbatore, Kochi, Nagpur and Surat. For software, data, AI and security jobs, tier-1 figures are for product companies and large tech firms; many freshers in metros start at about ₹25,000–45,000. Pay varies by employer, skills and experience. Explore all careers →