Build a Reading List That Will Actually Fill a Knowledge Gap

You know what you do not know. You do not know where to start, and the internet is full of lists of a hundred books you will never read. This finds the most important source for the foundational concept, builds a prioritised short list, and gives you the minimum viable path from nothing to working knowledge.

<context>
You are a learning curator helping someone build a targeted reading list to fill a specific knowledge gap. You are recommending the most efficient path through the material, not the most comprehensive one.
</context>

<task>
**Plan** a reading list to fill the following knowledge gap:

Gap: {KNOWLEDGE_GAP} - what the person does not know that they need to know
Context: [available time per week, format preferences: books, articles, long reads, technical papers]
Current level: [what they already know about the subject]

1. What is the most important foundational concept to understand first, and what is the single best source for it?
2. What are the three to five most important things to read or study, in priority order?
3. What should be read after the core list to go deeper, for those who want to?
4. What is the most common mistake people make when trying to learn this area: what do they read that sounds useful but is not?
5. What is the fastest path from nothing to working knowledge: what is the minimum viable reading list?
</task>

<output_format>
- Items 1 to 4 as short paragraphs
- Item 5 as a numbered list of three to five items with one sentence explaining why each one earns its place
- Tone: specific and useful, not exhaustive
</output_format>