Are you curious about trading bots but overwhelmed by hype and technical jargon? This book cuts through the noise to give you a grounded, honest understanding of how automated trading systems work with real market data. You'll learn the core components of a trading bot—data feeds, strategy logic, execution—and why most beginners lose money. We explore popular strategies like trend following and mean reversion without promising profits, emphasizing rigorous backtesting and the crushing impact of overfitting. Crucially, you'll discover how to manage risk through position sizing, stop losses, and knowing when not to trade. Each chapter builds on the last, from selecting a platform to going live with paper trading and handling slippage. This is not a get-rich-quick manual; it's a realistic roadmap to avoid costly mistakes and develop a disciplined, skeptical mindset. Whether you're looking at stocks or crypto, the principles remain the same. By the end, you'll know how to evaluate a bot, spot red flags in marketing, and decide if automated trading is even right for you. Part of The AI Trading Library.