Introduction 1

Part 1: Getting Started with MCP 7
CHAPTER 1: Introducing the Model Context Protocol 9
CHAPTER 2: Setting Up Your MCP Environment 31
CHAPTER 3: Your First MCP Project 59

Part 2: Building with MCP Servers 89
CHAPTER 4: Working with Prebuilt MCP Servers 91
CHAPTER 5: Connecting Your Data 129
CHAPTER 6: Creating Your Own Custom MCP Client and Servers 159
CHAPTER 7: Security, Authentication, and Compliance 219

Part 3: Advanced MCP Applications 247
CHAPTER 8: Controlling Agent Behavior with System Prompts 249
CHAPTER 9: Building Production-Ready Solutions 267
CHAPTER 10: Performance, Scaling, and Reliability 313
CHAPTER 11: Integrating MCP into Existing Systems 333

Part 4: The Part of Tens 357
CHAPTER 12: Ten Essential MCP Servers 359
CHAPTER 13: Ten Common MCP Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them) 373

Index 395