Don't forget to look at the back of the book where all the kanji are listed for each chapter (starting at page 262). It's good to start learning the basics from there because those tables also include other compounds that use the same kanji, so you can start building your mental connections very early.

You'll also find vocab lists at the beginning of each chapter as you progress through the book, but those usually contain a bit more, so it's easy to be overwhelmed. It doesn't hurt to learn everything, but know your limits.