On the Bookshelf · Publisher’s reading guide
Volume I or Volume II: where should you begin?
Choose the problem you want to get better at solving. The two AWS Architecture Decisions books share a way of thinking, but they work on different parts of the architect’s job.
Start with the decision, then choose your book.
If a design question turns on a trust boundary, network path, data consistency choice or AI application, start with Volume I. If it turns on cost, recovery, migration or operating a service reliably, start with Volume II.
| Your question | A useful starting point |
|---|---|
| How should services communicate, share data and enforce permissions? | Volume I: architecture, data, AI and security |
| How do we control cost, move a workload, recover it and operate it? | Volume II: economics, resilience, operations and practice |
Try a short architecture review.
A fictional ordering service needs to serve two businesses from one application. One customer’s invoice must never be returned to the other. Start by explaining how the request acquires trusted tenant context and how the application checks permission. That points toward Volume I.
Now the same service must recover after a regional outage. Ask when customers can place a correct order again, what data loss is acceptable, and which dependencies must recover first. That points toward Volume II.
Write down the constraint, compare two alternatives, and say what evidence would change your choice. Then read the worked rationale. A plausible service name is only the beginning of an answer.
What is in each volume?
Volume I has 13 chapters and 134 original questions. Volume II has 12 chapters and 264 original questions, including two 75-question practice exams. Together they contain 25 chapters and 398 original study questions. These are study exercises, not official exam items.
You can begin with the volume that matches your current gap. For broader preparation, use both alongside current AWS documentation and practical experience. Neither a book nor a practice score guarantees an exam result.
Preview before you decide.
Each book page links to the retailer listing and its sample where available. Check the sample, format and current marketplace offer before purchasing.
Explore Volume I and its sample
Explore Volume II and its sample
Compare the complete series
Disperity publishes these books. This is our own reading guidance, not an independent review. Independent educational material; no AWS affiliation or endorsement.