diff --git a/book/B-embedding-git/sections/libgit2.asc b/book/B-embedding-git/sections/libgit2.asc
index 2e006fdc0..cd29ebc05 100644
--- a/book/B-embedding-git/sections/libgit2.asc
+++ b/book/B-embedding-git/sections/libgit2.asc
@@ -10,27 +10,43 @@ Here's a whirlwind tour:
 
 [source,c]
 ----
-// Open a repository
-git_repository *repo;
-int error = git_repository_open(&repo, "/path/to/repository");
-
-// Dereference HEAD to a commit
-git_object *head_commit;
-error = git_revparse_single(&head_commit, repo, "HEAD^{commit}");
-git_commit *commit = (git_commit*)head_commit;
-
-// Print some of the commit's properties
-printf("%s", git_commit_message(commit));
-const git_signature *author = git_commit_author(commit);
-printf("%s <%s>\n", author->name, author->email);
-const git_oid *tree_id = git_commit_tree_id(commit);
+// If the name of this file is "head_commit_print.c", Compile this with:
+// CC head_commit_print.c -o head_commit_print -lgit2
+// where CC is the C compiler of your choice (eg. gcc, clang, ...)
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <git2.h>
 
-// Cleanup
-git_commit_free(commit);
-git_repository_free(repo);
+int main()
+{
+    // Initialize global state of git
+    git_libgit2_init();
+
+    // Open a repository
+    git_repository *repo;
+    int error = git_repository_open(&repo, "/path/to/repository");
+
+    // Dereference HEAD to a commit
+    git_object *head_commit;
+    error = git_revparse_single(&head_commit, repo, "HEAD^{commit}");
+    git_commit *commit = (git_commit*)head_commit;
+
+    // Print some of the commit's properties
+    printf("%s", git_commit_message(commit));
+    const git_signature *author = git_commit_author(commit);
+    printf("%s <%s>\n", author->name, author->email);
+    const git_oid *tree_id = git_commit_tree_id(commit);
+
+    // Cleanup
+    git_commit_free(commit);
+    git_repository_free(repo);
+
+    // Freeing resources from git_libgit2_init()
+    git_libgit2_shutdown();
+}
 ----
 
-The first couple of lines open a Git repository.
+The first line in the main function initializes the global state for using libgit2 library functions.
+The next couple of lines open a Git repository.
 The `git_repository` type represents a handle to a repository with a cache in memory.
 This is the simplest method, for when you know the exact path to a repository's working directory or `.git` folder.
 There's also the `git_repository_open_ext` which includes options for searching, `git_clone` and friends for making a local clone of a remote repository, and `git_repository_init` for creating an entirely new repository.