Getting Started with Enterprise Architecture: A Practical and Pragmatic Approach to Learning the Basics of Enterprise Architecture

Eric Jager’s Getting Started with Enterprise Architecture is the ideal handbook for any organization and those seeking a pragmatic understanding of EA methodology and how to apply it. The author expertly balances EA theory, storytelling, and practical advice resulting in an outstanding resource that provides a bridge between formal EA frameworks and the day-to-day practice of enterprise architecture. This book is essential reading for enterprise architects, project managers and business architects as well as senior IT leaders and business stakeholders who need to understand EA’s value, its lifecycle, and its organizational impact. Eric Jager's writing style is conversational and easy to comprehend unlike many EA publications that tend to be jargon-filled technical manuals. This is the best book on enterprise architecture I have ever read - I highly recommend it.

As an Enterprise Architect, I found this book incredibly useful. It explains EA concepts in a clear, practical way and focuses on real-world application rather than theory. The step-by-step guidance helped me refine my approach to aligning architecture with business goals. Highly recommended for anyone starting or improving their EA practice.

In Eric Jager’s book, “Getting Started with Enterprise Architecture”, he takes the reader on a journey from setting the stage of Enterprise Architecture (EA) from the history to the current state and where it fits amongst other architectures. Once the stage is set, you dive into the practical steps of setting up an enterprise architecture. It is clear Eric has vast knowledge is setting up this practice in different organizations due to his examples given which is tremendously valuable for the reader as this book does not go through an academic, cookie cutter process that every organization should follow, but instead, understands that every organization is different and may have to begin at different points. The third phase he takes you on is then the next steps you can take once you have the architecture setup as it doesn’t stop there! Personally, I read this from the Business Architecture lens to widen my knowledge of what else would be helpful to implement and how. Eric made this book so relatable I instantly was pulled in to see the similarities in what I had setup for the business architecture and how it relates to pieces of the enterprise architecture. The EA Wheel brought to light my feelings on Documentation and Define being like the chicken and the egg – which came first?! In reality, as he states, you can start anywhere, as I did with mile wide and inch deep on Documentation and Define, and now use Control to track going back to Documentation and Define. I really dove in on Execute on Strategy for value and it opened my eyes to not just the overlap between business architecture and EA, but also the additional pieces I should review further for the most value! Overall, I highly recommend this book to both novice and experienced practitioners that want practical, real world insights on pieces to implement and mature in an enterprise architecture, as well as ideas on how to navigate steps the best way for your organization. Even if you are not implementing the enterprise architecture yourself, this book is highly beneficial for anyone that should be collaborating with EA or just wants to know more about the scope. Invest in yourself and take a journey in this book!

Well thought out and designed book. It reads similar to project plan. I highly recommend this book for those that are new the EA role.

Good start to get view on what EA is and how to approach it, practical examples could bo more detailed in the last chapter

As an experienced Enterprise Architect, I highly recommend this book for anyone who needs a practical, pragmatic and highly useful introduction to and overview of the discipline of Enterprise Architecture (EA). For the novice, and for those who’ve spent years in the “EA Trenches”, the book’s examples, illustrations, tables, and Eric’s personal experiences provide a powerful foundation for EA understanding and collaboration. In particular, the Strategy to Execution alignment approach with senior management resonates with me, along with the highly practical and demystifying stakeholder engagement model of the EA Wheel (esp. when used in concert with TOGAF ADM). For more advanced EA shops, I appreciated the way that Eric referenced key BIZBOK Business Architecture aspects as part of EA, but arguably, I wish that he could have similarly referenced SABSA for Business-centric Security Architecture to better position Enterprise Security as both an EA Domain AND a cross-cutting concern. I am clearly biased, but I am also happy to see Eric’s final take that “ultimately, there is no one final or correct way to look at the domains of EA”. Perhaps an Architecture Domain Body of Knowledge treatment should be a topic for another book or follow-on insights? Again, I can highly recommend this comprehensive book on Enterprise Architecture!

An excellent introduction to Enterprise Architecture, even for experienced professionals This book offers a clear and accessible introduction to the concept of Enterprise Architecture for beginners, while also providing valuable insights for more experienced professionals. It is richly illustrated, which makes it easy to read, and the pragmatic approach helps make the concepts easy to understand. A great starting point for anyone looking to grasp the fundamentals of Enterprise Architecture.

While the title is “Getting Started with Enterprise Architecture” this book is also ideal for more experienced architects too. This book reminds us of the basic concepts of what EA is about. I recommend this book to all of my TOGAF and Enterprise Architecture students.

It’s a great book and it really explains with wonderful examples on most of the concepts.I really loved it. I could feel confident.

De afgelopen jaren is er binnen de architectuur een bepaalde mist opgetrokken waardoor het totaal onduidelijk is geworden waar architectuur voor staat. Met onduidelijke rollen, onduidelijke productbenamingen (output van architectuur) en onduidelijke processen zijn we een mysterie geworden voor een groot gedeelte van een organisatie. Diegene voor wie we het eigenlijk doen zijn we kwijtgeraakt. Dit boek brengt heel fijn de basis weer terug. Voor mij geen "getting started", maar weer even met de voeten op aarde. Uiteraard helpt het ook om op weg te komen. Aanrader voor elke architect.

Brilliant Part 1 gives a good summary of the frameworks in place and presents Archimate in a clear and concise way. The book is easy to understand and provides a good summary of what needs to be done in an enterprise architecture approach. The EAwheel, which I think is an excellent idea, allows you to understand and use Togaf in a practical way.

I have to say—it’s an insightful and brilliantly crafted guide into the world of enterprise architecture. I truly appreciated how it bridges strategy with technology in such a practical and inspiring way. Every chapter offered something valuable, and it’s definitely a resource I’ll keep coming back to. Thank you for such a powerful contribution! Ahmed Nasr -Saudi Arabia

As someone just beginning to explore the world of Enterprise Architecture, Getting Started with Enterprise Architecture by Eric Jager has been exactly what I needed. Frameworks can be intimidating to newcomers, full of jargon and theory that feels disconnected from reality, but this book changes that completely. Eric’s conversational tone and step-by-step approach make complex topics feel accessible without oversimplifying them. The EA Wheel is a great concept. It provides a clear, practical way to apply EA principles and see how strategy, business processes, and technology align in real-world contexts. What I appreciate most is how practical it all feels. The examples are grounded in real organisational challenges, showing not just what to do but why it matters. You can tell the author has lived this work. It is written with both clarity and empathy for people trying to make sense of EA in the real world. If you’re starting out or even just curious about how enterprise architecture works in practice, I can’t recommend this book enough. It’s the rare guide that makes you feel confident, not overwhelmed.