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$22.57
1. MAKE: Electronics: Learning Through
$14.99
2. All New Electronics Self-Teaching
$12.10
3. Electronics For Dummies
$74.49
4. The Art of Electronics
$19.75
5. Getting Started in Electronics
$16.87
6. Teach Yourself Electricity and
$24.11
7. Practical Electronics for Inventors
$96.36
8. Fundamentals of Power Electronics
$9.54
9. Electronics Projects For Dummies
$57.53
10. Power Electronics: Converters,
$28.25
11. Handmade Electronic Music: The
$81.00
12. Electronic Commerce
$34.60
13. ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS
$54.94
14. Electronic Health Records, Second
$13.28
15. Electronic Gadgets for the Evil
$11.35
16. Schaum's Outline of Electronic
$46.67
17. Electronic Principles
$135.00
18. Foundations of Electronics: Circuits
$8.12
19. Beginner's Guide to Reading Schematics
$18.43
20. Electronic Projects for Musicians

1. MAKE: Electronics: Learning Through Discovery
by Charles Platt
Paperback: 352 Pages (2009-12-10)
list price: US$34.99 -- used & new: US$22.57
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0596153740
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description

"This is teaching at its best!"

--Hans Camenzind, inventor of the 555 timer (the world's most successful integrated circuit), and author of Much Ado About Almost Nothing: Man's Encounter with the Electron (Booklocker.com)

"A fabulous book: well written, well paced, fun, and informative. I also love the sense of humor. It's very good at disarming the fear. And it's gorgeous. I'll be recommending this book highly."

--Tom Igoe, author of Physical Computing and Making Things Talk

Want to learn the fundamentals of electronics in a fun, hands-on way? With Make: Electronics, you'll start working on real projects as soon as you crack open the book. Explore all of the key components and essential principles through a series of fascinating experiments. You'll build the circuits first, then learn the theory behind them!

Build working devices, from simple to complex You'll start with the basics and then move on to more complicated projects. Go from switching circuits to integrated circuits, and from simple alarms to programmable microcontrollers. Step-by-step instructions and more than 500 full-color photographs and illustrations will help you use -- and understand -- electronics concepts and techniques.

  • Discover by breaking things: experiment with components and learn from failure
  • Set up a tricked-out project space: make a work area at home, equipped with the tools and parts you'll need
  • Learn about key electronic components and their functions within a circuit
  • Create an intrusion alarm, holiday lights, wearable electronic jewelry, audio processors, a reflex tester, and a combination lock
  • Build an autonomous robot cart that can sense its environment and avoid obstacles
  • Get clear, easy-to-understand explanations of what you're doing and why
... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

5-0 out of 5 stars Excellent all-around
This book is very approachable and has excellent diagrams and photography.Compare these photos to the dingy B&W stuff from the library books we looked at and this book wins hands-down.

My 9 y/o son has been reading and doing the projects (I've been working along with him). The PICAXE project worked on the first try!

Highly recommended!

3-0 out of 5 stars Overall good book but the author is mistaken on some of the theory
The author uses an outdated analogy of electricity using a water tank to represent the batteries, and its this analogy that probably causes him to get the definition wrong on some physical quantities. I don't think it will cause any problem if your are just interested in hobby use and not interested in theory, however if you want a more accurate understanding of theory I would suggest that you look at a physics text. Or at least look up the terms on wikipedia.

In case you're interested here are some of the errors I found, (but I really would recommend that you look it up in text or on wikipedia where the subject is explained more clearly and in more detail): on pg 36. He started by saying that electrical potential is measured in coulombs and is a measured by adding up charges, while it is true that coulombs are a measure of charge, electrical potential is NOT charge - the difference in electrical potential between to points is commonly referred to as voltage, and what is it measures is how much a charged particles electrical potential energy would change if moved from the first point to the second point (so 1 volt = 1 joule per coulomb). If you want to use a fluid analogy in a circuit the charge stays on the conductors so they are like pikes, so you would have to picture a closed fluid system. Voltage would be analogous to height, electrical force would be analogous to the force of gravity or weight. The battery would be analogous to a pump, that would lift the water to a certain height, and the water flowing down through pipes is analogous to the circuit. So just as when water drops in height it converts its gravitational potential energy into other forms of energy such as drag (resistance) to do work (like a light bulb or a motor) or to kinetic energy. The electrical analog to fluid flow rate is current (measure in units charge per units time, 1 ampere = 1 coulomb / second). A watt is NOT a measure of energy, a joule is a measure of energy (and a volt is 1 joule / coulomb) watt is a measure of power (think horsepower) and 1 watt = 1 joule / second. Work is a measure of a force through a distance and is measure in newton meters, but here is the key: work doesn't come out of nowhere, energy is used to produce work, so 1 newton meter = 1 joule ( if you want to derive them they are both kg times (meters squared) over seconds squared).
Another thing he says is that if you put to batteries in parallel it doubles the current but this is violation of Ohms law, if the batteries are in parallel the voltage is the same as if you had just one battery so by ohms law V=I/R if V is constant then R is constant (because real batteries have internal resistance, if that is the main source of resistance in your circuit, then yes the current would effectively double but in a typical circuit the batteries internal resistance can be ignored, and current would remain roughly constant) What generally happens if you hook up two batteries in parallel is they would last twice as long as if you had just one since each battery stores roughly the same amount of energy in the form of electrons stored in the chemistry so by using double the batteries you double the number of electrons available and by Ohm's law you use the electrons at the same rate (current aka amperage).
Ohms law also explains why if you have near zero resistance (even wires have some resistance) that your battery drains really quickly, the current goes up since there is little resistance to keep the electrons where they are, so basically the electrons leave the battery as quickly as the chemistry in the battery is capable of releasing them so the battery drains very quickly, its this huge number of electrons moving through the wire in a relatively short amount of time that cause all the heat.

5-0 out of 5 stars BEST place to start
I got this book thinking I knew the basics of electronics.Well, I didn't.This book takes you back to basics and builds your knowledge from that CORRECTLY.Amazing book!

5-0 out of 5 stars Where was this book when I was in college or before even that?!!!
Here am I, over 30 with aMaster's Degree in Electrical Engineering.I pick up this book because one day I would like to teach my son electronics, and before that teach some homeschool classes in my area on electronics.I was completely amazed at how well this book is laid out for teaching someone new to electronics!I remember my earlier days in junior high when my techie granddad gave me an electronic kit that sat on my shelf collecting dust, because the manual was just awful.I sure wish I had this book back then!I would have also have made a great introductory electronics class in college, instead of all that boring theory the professor droned on and on about all day then go to lab and stare at the breadboard.I made straight A's in those early classes, but not very confidently and no thanks to the professor.

The books does a wonderful job of building upon concepts and moving onto the next without jumping too far out ahead.It has some nice historical asides in the sidebars about inventors and scientists for a special touch.The downside is getting all the parts for the experiments, so I recommend you cough up the dough to get the Maker's kits that go with the lessons if you don't want to spend a lot of time ordering and searching.However, ordering and searching for those parts is another education in itself, because one must eventually learn to acquire these items if they want to do more electronics work in the future.

Overall, this book is worth the money!

5-0 out of 5 stars Excellent getting started in electronics book
This book is great for getting started in electronics.It starts off basic, but digs in and gets interesting very quickly.It includes excellent color illustrations and an easy to read copy. ... Read more


2. All New Electronics Self-Teaching Guide (Wiley Self Teaching Guides)
by Harry Kybett, Mr. Earl Boysen
Paperback: 456 Pages (2008-05-12)
list price: US$34.99 -- used & new: US$14.99
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0470289619
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
For almost 30 years, this book has been a classic text for electronics enthusiasts. Now completely updated for today?s technology with easy explanations and presented in a more user-friendly format, this third edition helps you learn the essentials you need to work with electronic circuits. All you need is a general understanding of electronics concepts such as Ohm?s law and current flow, and an acquaintance with first-year algebra. The question-and-answer format, illustrative experiments, and self-tests at the end of each chapter make it easy for you to learn at your own speed. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

5-0 out of 5 stars All New Electronics Self-Teaching Guide book review
This book is a great guide for the novice or seasoned electronic technician.
Although it starts quite basically, it moves into more complexity as the pages progress.
It is easy to read and the questions at the ends of the chapters are akin to pop quizes we had in high school. These define whether or not you need to review the past material or progress to new territory.
Over all, it is a very good text from which to learn electronic theory with practical applications.

5-0 out of 5 stars Overall an exellent book.
One thing that I like about this book is that it gives you something that is very important PRACTICE. I have not yet read the whole book, but I'm in chapter six, and so far it's been a great book. I also like the fact that it has amathematical approach yet it does not go beyond algebra (there is actually a tiny bit of trigonometry in chapter six, but I was still able get by knowing pretty much what was going on). Overall an excellent book.

5-0 out of 5 stars Excellent teaching system
I have the older 2nd edition. Apparently the 3rd edition is even better.

This book will teach you the basics of electronics components and math as painlessly as possible.

It uses the following format:

1. Tell the student what s/he will learn in that chapter.

2. Give the student the information a step at a time.

3. Ask the student to use the info to solve a problem, again one step at a time.

4. Give the student the answer immediately (no looking in the back of the book).

This system works remarkably well.

Also, I feel that this book makes good choices with regard to how much math to include. Equations that can be derived with basic algebra are derived and then used.
Equations that require higher math to derive are not derived but are explained and used. This is a sensible balance.

You come out of the end of a chapter with specific, concrete, usable knowledge and a good deal of confidence. Your knowledge of electronics simply grows and grows.

It is the best electronics teaching system I have ever seen.

Buy it now. It's the right thing to do.

5-0 out of 5 stars Great book
This book is very helpful for understanding how circuits work. The question answer format really helped me see how electronic circuits work. This is much more effective than the more theoretical books.

I would recomend this book to anyone trying to understanding how electronic circuits work.

3-0 out of 5 stars excellentin some ways, but needs work
The basic design and direction of this book is absolutely excellent.The question and answer format engages the reader for better understanding, and the topics covered include a wide variety of essential areas.The book falls down, however, because ofbeing 'rushed out without adequate editing' (nor usable index), thus leaving the reader confused at times. Other problems include incorrect answers to problems, and inadequate explanations.So while I know that I learned a lot from the book, I also know that if I recommended it to friends they would be calling me saying how frustrated they were with the mistakes.For that very reason my review is not a recommendation.I have strong hopes that the next edition will fix the problems here and I will THEN be able to recommend this book.

In case you are wondering (and I know I was), the third edition is actually written by Earl Boysen now since Harry Kybett, having written the first two editions, has passed away.

The Q & A format is one of those things that always seems to be a bit unique in any particular book, and this one is no exception.In the early chapters many of the questions may seem insulting in that they are so easy, and the reader can find themself wondering if the book was written for 8 year old kids! But the real beauty of that approach is that it forces your mind to change modes on a regular basis: instead of staying in a passive info-absorbing mode, it has to stop and become active at solving a problem, which results in better retention. So even if the question seems childish, the information is more firmly impressed on you.In the middle and latter chapters, the Q & A format usually sticks with problem solving, often asking you to repeat the same sort of calculations you have seen in examples. Most of the time the solutions include more than just answers, serving to explain just how the answer was arrived at. But the problems occur with that word "most"! It is also the case that many of the times when we need details, all we get is a numerical answer with no hint as to how it was arrived at. It is even more frustrating when the book's answer appears WRONG no matter how many times you recalculate it.

In addition to the Q & A presentation, the end of each chapter includes review questions along with answers, but no detailed solution.One clear editorial screwup is apparent where Chapter 1 calls this"pre-test" and all other chapters call it "self-test." That's why I say "rush job".

I found myself confused with the authors presentations on occasion and felt it necessary to consult other electronics books.Two I found particularly helpful were "Teach Yourself Electricity and Electronics" by Stan Gibilisco, and "Electronics for Inventors" by Paul Scherz. Both of these guys' books are a lot more "wordy" with an emphasis on making electronics undestandable.While this book is supposed to demystify electronics, I have to say I felt mystfied enough to go out and get these other books.Three things Boysen's book were unclear about are: ground line in circuits, which doesn't even show up in the index and is assumed to be something the reader knows beforehand; combining AC and DC in the same circuit (way too brief); and the emitter-follower amplifier - the description was just plain baffling!.

This book does a great job of covering things like amplifiers, resonance, power supplies, along with AC and DC basics, but of course you have to start with fundamentals. Kirchoff's voltage and current laws are covered, but this books stops short of giving you a full complement of circuit analysis tools. It would be much better to have the method of loop currents presented here since without it, readers will be left scratching their heads when they run into many real-world circuits.

Another big plus is the list of internet references that are provided in the book. The author has his own website and you can send him questions about the book; I did that and got a response every time.

The book does have some experiments (five total), but they will require some equipment.At a minimum, you will need a breadboard and two digital multimeters, but normally you will also need an oscilloscope and a signal generator. Two of these experiments are called "optional" and are in the chapter on oscillators.I would not expect anyone to be able to perform those last two experiments simply because sufficient information is not given. The components are not specified and the author basically just suggests that you try to implement what is shown in a circuit diagram rather the providing the details (as he did in the other experiments). I think they are called "optional" because the author opted out! I would have preferred to see more experiments, maybe minimum of one per chapter?, and some alternative way of doing them without the expensive equipment.

The chapter on oscillators is the worst chapter in the book!The only thing you are going to learn from this chapter is the three basic types of oscillators -- the Q&A problems are just impossible and really serve to show how rushed out the book was.Then, at chapter end, the self-test is very superficial, demonstrating that the author knew very little was conveyed. What are the characteristics of oscillators? Not covered. Why would you choose one type over another? Not covered.What are oscillators used for? Not covered. ... Read more


3. Electronics For Dummies
by Cathleen Shamieh, Gordon McComb
Paperback: 432 Pages (2009-09-22)
list price: US$24.99 -- used & new: US$12.10
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0470286970
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
Electronics is fascinating – want to make something of it? This book shows you how!

You can make all sorts of things, once you understand what electronics is and how it works.   This book helps you out with that part, explaining the whole thing in plain English. Learn how electricity functions, how to harness it and put it to work, what tools you need to build circuits, what you can make with them, and how to do it safely.

  • Mystery solved – understand what makes your iPod, remote control, and computer work
  • Essential stuff – outfit your electronics lab with all the necessary tools, including some that will surprise you
  • Schematic road maps – learn to read schematics and understand how they help your project get where it’s going
  • Symbols of power – recognize all the identifiers for power sources, grounds, and components
  • Tools of the trade – discover how to use a multimeter, logic probe, oscilloscope, and solderless breadboard
  • Break it down – get to know the ins and outs of components such as resistors, capacitors ,diodes and transistors
  • Getting it together – find out how integrated circuits make all the rest possible and learn to work with them
  • & Analyze it – understand the rules that govern current and voltage and learn how to apply them

Open the book and find:

  • The difference between electronics and electricity
  • A list of essential tools
  • Cool projects you can build quickly
  • Great places to find parts
  • Important safety tips
  • What a sine wave is
  • Interesting stuff about speakers, buzzers, and DC motors
  • Ohm’s Law and how to use it
... Read more

Customer Reviews (45)

4-0 out of 5 stars Good book
The content is easy to follow, especially for someone who does not know much about electronics. It works for me.

4-0 out of 5 stars KevinH_Review_ElectronicsForDummies
I was looking for help on using an oscilloscope as well as better understanding simple electronics, and the "dummies" series books are in my opinion very helpful and simple to understand.

4-0 out of 5 stars novice electricians
This book really is good. if you really want to understand how the components work in an electronic circuit, I recommend this book. This book is not for the expert technicians because it cover's the really basic stuff like, resistors, diodes and so on.

4-0 out of 5 stars Good Book for an Electronics student
I have an electronics degree and after 25 years I wanted a refresher course.This is a good basic electrical/electronics book.

5-0 out of 5 stars Electronics for Dummies
item came very quickly and in excellent condition.would do business with this vendor again. ... Read more


4. The Art of Electronics
by Paul Horowitz, Winfield Hill
Hardcover: 1125 Pages (1989-07-28)
list price: US$112.00 -- used & new: US$74.49
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0521370957
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
This is the thoroughly revised and updated Second Edition of the hugely successful The Art of Electronics. Widely accepted as the single, authoritative text and reference on electronic circuit design, both analog and digital, this book has sold over 120,000 copies, and has been translated into eight languages.This book revolutionized the teaching of electronics by emphasizing the methods actually used by circuit designers--a combination of some basic laws, rules of thumb, and a large bag of tricks.The result is a largely nonmathematical treatment that encourages circuit intuition, brain storming, and simplified calculations of circuit values and performance. This completely new edition responds to the breakneck pace of change in electronics with totally rewritten chapters on microcomputers and microprocessors, substantially revised chapters on digital electronics, on op-amps and precision design, and on construction techniques.Every table has been revised, and many new ones have been added. The new Art of Electronics retains the feeling of informality and easy access that made the first edition so successful and popular. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (149)

5-0 out of 5 stars An amazing intermediate electronics book for non-linear thinkers.
This book is not for everybody. If you want complete mathematical rigor, look elsewhere. If you want everything tightly organized and fully indexed, this is not your book. If you want to memorize rules rather than expand your thinking about the subject, you won't like this.

This is not the best book for absolute beginners, either. The introductory chapter is weak compared to the rest of the book. Nor is it for those seeking up-to-date reference information. Almost all of the reference data is long obsolete. Much of the info in the microcomputer/microprocessor sections is too.

It is also not a cookbook, despite what some other reviewers say. There are very few complete circuit designs.

This book is, however, PERFECT for those that think non-linearly and rely on *understanding* rather than *memorizing*. As the title promises, it teaches the *Art* of Electronics. It is not a dead collection of facts and equations, but a book-long exercise in internalizing the thought process that goes with good,creative electronic design. You will need other books to complete your education in electronics, but this book can be the key that makes it all "click".

5-0 out of 5 stars the must have book
I read this book several years ago.AS a matter of fact, one of my friends at the University owned it and well this book is excellent will teach you on a very direct and simple language how electronic components work , and the diverse applications on real life applications and devices.

5-0 out of 5 stars Art of Electronics - Excellent Reference
Got this book as a reference on electrical components in experimental applications and I am very pleased.Everything one could ever hope for (except cookies) are included in this book, and it has already helped me create quite a few components which I most likely would have made errors on otherwise. The section on Op-Amps is especially comprehensive.

3-0 out of 5 stars Used book buy
This was a used book I bought to replace one that got damaged. The condition of the book was a little rougher than description indicated. A picture of used books wouldbe helpful.
This is an iconic book in electronics even though itcould use an update, it is very thorough and helps the understanding of basic electronics. It has a lot of examples of DO's and more important sometimes DO NOT's.

5-0 out of 5 stars It's the best electronics textbook
A classic, but still completely usable. It's the text I used to learn electronics as an undergrad, the reference book I had on my shelf as a graduate student and postdoc, and the text I assigned to my physics students learning electronics. Unsurpassed. ... Read more


5. Getting Started in Electronics
by Forrest M. Mims III
Paperback: 128 Pages (2003-02)
list price: US$19.95 -- used & new: US$19.75
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0945053282
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
This is a complete electronics course in 128 pages! Author Forrest Mims teaches you the basics, takes you on a tour of analog and digital components, explains how they work, and shows you how they are combines for various applications.Includes circuit assembly tips and 100 electronic circuits and projects you can build and test. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (50)

5-0 out of 5 stars Excellent Introduction and Refresher
I bought this book at the spur of the moment for something light to read during a long commute.All of the Mim's books I have read are all very well written and easy to understand.I have a degree in Mechanical Engineering which included some electronics curriculum, though I am trying to learn more.This book was a fantastic refresher and actually explained things in such a wonderfully simple way that some concepts will be sunk into my mind better than in the past.I have also read Electronics for Dummies, which is also good.If I had to choose one or the other I would lean toward Mim's book.His illustrations are a blast.

5-0 out of 5 stars Forrest Mims is the best!
Highly enjoyable read with a wealth of information packed into just 128 pages.Hand-drawn illustrations fill every page.100 interesting circuits to build at the back of the book.Read it and re-read it!

4-0 out of 5 stars Great starter book, highly visual, not updated in two decades???
Forrest Mims is the man when it comes to conveying basic electronics.I like his style of presenting the material in a brief clear and concise way.The drawings are top notch! This book is excellent for all ages, so no fear in grabbing this book and thinking it is "for kids".

My only issue with the book is it really hasn't been updated in two decades.Can you believe it?With the explosion of newer electronics on the market in recent years and it hasn't even been revised and updated. ARRRGGGHHHH!

Anyway, don't let that steer you away because everything contained in the book is still relevant today!

NOTE: A more complete "teach yourself" complement to this book is the "Electronics Learning Lab" from Radio Shack.It looks like a kids toy but, for about $69.00 you get a great kit for building circuits that demonstrate all the material he explains in this book.Additionally, the Learning Lab comes with TWO additional Forrest Mims books on Analog and Digital Circuits.Both books are written in the same easy to grasp style as this one.

Good Luck!

4-0 out of 5 stars getting started in electronics
This book went right along with another book purchased earlier for my son who is taking electrical engineering.This book was in good shape and saved me a lot of money buying from amazon.com rather than purchasing through the college book store.

4-0 out of 5 stars Great book on circuit board electronics.
It has easy to follow diagrams and explanations. All of the parts are explained well. This book is designed to give you enough knowledge to design your own circuits. The information is presented in a logical way that builds your knowledge page by page. When you are ready to start building circuits you can reference what you learned to get parts. This means knowing or looking up in the book a PNP transistor and using the schematic diagram to order parts. I like to order from Jameco Electronics. If you need a PNP transistor punch it in the search box at the site and you will have lots of options. I am not writing this review to promote Jameco Electronics. I am writing this to help people with building projects and getting the most out of this book. , Ron ... Read more


6. Teach Yourself Electricity and Electronics, Fourth Edition
by Stan Gibilisco
Paperback: 698 Pages (2006-03-15)
list price: US$34.95 -- used & new: US$16.87
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0071459332
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
Learn the hows and whys behind basic electricity, electronics, and communications without formal training

The best combination self-teaching guide, home reference, and classroom text on electricity and electronics has been updated to deliver the latest advances.Great for preparing for amateur and commercial licensing exams, this guide has been prized by thousands of students and professionals for its uniquely thorough coverage ranging from DC and AC concepts to semiconductors and integrated circuits.

  • Written by Stan Gibilisco, an electronics legend and McGraw-Hill's most popular TAB author
  • Perfect for hobbyists, students, and those of you who want to get ahead in tech-related careers
  • Packed with everything needed to enhance learning: 600+ illustrations, practical examples, and hundreds of test questions

NEW TO THIS EDITION:
Updated to reflect the latest technological advances in: * Computers * Robotics * Artificial Intelligence * Amplifiers * Transmitters * The Internet * High-fidelity

EXPERT HOW-TO GUIDANCE ON SOLVING PROBLEMS SUCH AS:

  • Simple current-voltage-resistance determinators
  • Power calculations
  • Designing acoustical and audio systems
  • Designing circuits and systems
... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

3-0 out of 5 stars Goes too fast
I have a high IQ (until like a few years i'll get Alzheimers and try to eat my styrofoam cup instead of drink the coffee).

I can say that I understand it, but really, it goes MUCH faster than professionals learn it in school.It is very good, but starts to accelerate a bit more than any other review noted.

There arent any books for people who are true starters.You might as well get this and be less frustrated than other books.You need to get a practice kit or something.However no author tells you what to get in advance.The bench is more important than the books, something this book sorta hints at but doesnt really give you suggestions on materials to self learn.It is working though!

4-0 out of 5 stars Good text, little incomplete
One question I had on Chapter 13 is Stan does not describe how to get the frequency by itself in an equation when inductive reactance and inductance is known. I was unable to answer Question 6 or 8 on the review for Chapter 13, "Inductive Reactance. I bought his Algebra book to brush up on my skills since I will be working in electronics.

Other than that it was a good book, however, more emphasis on math will be needed.

5-0 out of 5 stars Perfect Fit for Anyone Interested in Electronics
Every great once in a while (not often enough), you're lucky enough to come across the right book at the right time. This is that book for me and probably a ton of other people who are in the same place I am.I am just starting an electronics technician degree program, and this book complements my "Intro to Electronics" course perfectly.It should have been our textbook! :-)

4-0 out of 5 stars what's with that cover?
I'm no electronics pro, and honestly I haven't even finished reading the book yet.But I really like the lay-out and quizzes at the end of each chapter.One of the things that caught my attention was how it started with such basic information."Chapter one; Atoms", this was a great and logical place to start.Keep your calculator handy though, because by chapter two you're knee deep in, what was for me, pretty advanced calculus.

3-0 out of 5 stars Kindle Edition: Decent, but flawed...
I purchased the Kindle version, in an attempt to get into some small electronics projects.

The Kindle version has one major downfall: The table of contents is utterly useless. The publisher decided to make the contents one big image, without links. This makes the book have VERY limited utility for those looking to use this later as a reference. It also makes jumping back to previous chapters to review concepts a major chore.


This book covers the relevant topics of DC / AC electronics, the major physical components, and the mathematics involved in a straightforward fashion.

That said, this book falls under the issues that almost every other EE book falls into: There are many examples, and explanations of how to do the basic math, but little practical application. Like every other learning electronics books I've seen, it's difficult to make heads or tails of how the things you are learning apply in the real world. ... Read more


7. Practical Electronics for Inventors
by Paul Scherz
Paperback: 952 Pages (2006-09-01)
list price: US$39.95 -- used & new: US$24.11
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0071452818
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description

THE BOOK THAT MAKES ELECTRONICS MAKE SENSE

This intuitive, applications-driven guide to electronics for hobbyists, engineers, and students doesn't overload readers with technical detail. Instead, it tells you-and shows you-what basic and advanced electronics parts and components do, and how they work. Chock-full of illustrations, Practical Electronics for Inventors offers over 750 hand-drawn images that provide clear, detailed instructions that can help turn theoretical ideas into real-life inventions and gadgets.

CRYSTAL CLEAR AND COMPREHENSIVE

Covering the entire field of electronics, from basics through analog and digital, AC and DC, integrated circuits (ICs), semiconductors, stepper motors and servos, LCD displays, and various input/output devices, this guide even includes a full chapter on the latest microcontrollers. A favorite memory-jogger for working electronics engineers, Practical Electronics for Inventors is also the ideal manual for those just getting started in circuit design. If you want to succeed in turning your ideas into workable electronic gadgets and inventions, is THE book.Starting with a light review of electronics history, physics, and math, the book provides an easy-to-understand overview of all major electronic elements, including:Basic passive components o Resistors, capacitors, inductors, transformers o Discrete passive circuits o Current-limiting networks, voltage dividers, filter circuits, attenuators o Discrete active devices o Diodes, transistors, thrysistors o Microcontrollers o Rectifiers, amplifiers, modulators, mixers, voltage regulators

ENTHUSIASTIC READERS HELPED US MAKE THIS BOOK EVEN BETTER

This revised, improved, and completely updated second edition reflects suggestions offered by the loyal hobbyists and inventors who made the first edition a bestseller. Reader-suggested improvements in this guide include:
  • Thoroughly expanded and improved theory chapter
  • New sections covering test equipment, optoelectronics, microcontroller circuits, and more
  • New and revised drawings
  • Answered problems throughout the book

Practical Electronics for Inventors takes you through reading schematics, building and testing prototypes, purchasing electronic components, and safe work practices. You'll find all thisin a guide that's destined to get your creative-and inventive-juices flowing.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (72)

5-0 out of 5 stars Good survey of electronics
I bought this book to prepare for an advanced physics course in ASIC chip design.I plowed through it in a tight 5 week schedule.Just like the professor said, there are lots of mistakes in this book.But this book goes from electrons to computers.It's strongest section is the part on electronic circuit components.It discusses components at a very detailed level extreemly useful for the inventor.I'm an inventor.It's important to understand the different types of batteries, resistors, capacitors, and other components in order to properly apply them to a given job or invention.This book really, really shines here!It also jumps into math beyond what knowledge I have, so it does not hold back on the essentials.However, the very difficult math is restricted to just a small area of specialized AC waveform analysis.I had to skip that section, but the rest was quite useable.The author wisely skips lightly over details not needed by most.For example, Boolean Algebra is treated adequately, but not in detail.The author rightly states that such derivations are now done best via computer programs.But an engineer would have to know the math in detail in order to trouble shoot problems in digital design.But this is a book for inventors and most of us, and not for electronics engineering students, except as a great survey of electronics from A to Z.The same professor who says this book has a lot errors, and it does, uses this book as a text for teaching electronics to advanced physics students! A worth while book.

5-0 out of 5 stars A great starting point
All the reviewers who point out the numerous errors in the book are absolutely correct.I believe, however, that they fail to realize the true utility of the book by trying to use the book as the main or only source of info.They should realize, instead, that the book intends only to be the starting point.Use it for its significant breath to shine light on new or unfamiliar concepts before digging deeper using other more detailed textbooks.Believe me, such a top-down approach is invaluable for someone who needs to actually get something built or modified in a hurry.

5-0 out of 5 stars Excellent source of information for the electronics enthusiast
Great book I highly recommend it to any one interested in building electronics projects. I'm the kind of person that needs to know how things work and am not satisfied just knowing that things work. This book answered all my questions.

3-0 out of 5 stars Riddled with Errors
This book presents the material intelligently and comprehesively, but many of the examples and some of the descriptions are riddled with errors.There are errors in basic mathematical calculations.There are errors on reference points (e.g. R2 vice R3).There are mismatches between values provided in an illustrations and and values provided in their descriptions.

The number of errors makes reading the book stilted, because you have to often pause to determine whether you are not understanding an explanation or you have once again discovered another error.

I could see using this book as a text for a class and adding the challenge for students to identify errors as they discover them.It makes the text itself a form of quiz or test.Not ideal but it could be interesting.

Overall for a technical book, it is poorly edited.Anyone who could plug numbers into a calculator should have been able to discover a majority of the errors.Anyone with a little common sense should have recognized all the inconsistencies between descriptions, examples, and references.

Good presentation and a comprehensive coverage of the material, but a terrible attention to detail.

4-0 out of 5 stars Nice figures with some math errors
I am a mechanical engineer and I was looking for a book on electronics that insulted my intelligence. Sure enough, this book delivered. The figures alone do a wonderful job of explaining circuits. Reading the actual text is almost unnecessary. The writing style is very informal and unscientific, which is probably not a bad thing.

As for the math, it did not take me long to spot an error, I just got it today. There was a misplaced negative sign on page 75 which did not make any sense. Other reviewers have found issues with the math. For me, I am pretty well trained in engineering math and I already had a reasonable grasp of linear circuits (not nonlinear circuits), so I am willing to overlook these flaws. This is "practical electronics for inventors" and not "practical electronics for engineers and mathematicians".

I was really looking for a book that explored simple questions like: "How does one use a transistor?", "How do I prevent myself from frying a bunch of microcontroller boards?" or "How do I use an oscilloscope?". This book answers these basic questions for people who have no practical electronics experience (although they may have theoretical experience). ... Read more


8. Fundamentals of Power Electronics (Second Edition)
by Robert W. Erickson, Dragan Maksimovic
Hardcover: 912 Pages (2001-01)
list price: US$159.00 -- used & new: US$96.36
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0792372700
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description
Fundamentals of Power Electronics, Second Edition, is an up-to-date and authoritative text and reference book on power electronics. This new edition retains the original objective and philosophy of focusing on the fundamental principles, models, and technical requirements needed for designing practical power electronic systems while adding a wealth of new material.

Improved features of this new edition include:

A new chapter on input filters, showing how to design single and multiple section filters;
Major revisions of material on averaged switch modeling, low-harmonic rectifiers, and the chapter on AC modeling of the discontinuous conduction mode;
New material on soft switching, active-clamp snubbers, zero-voltage transition full-bridge converter, and auxiliary resonant commutated pole. Also, new sections on design of multiple-winding magnetic and resonant inverter design;
Additional appendices on Computer Simulation of Converters using averaged switch modeling, and Middlebrook's Extra Element Theorem, including four tutorial examples; and
Expanded treatment of current programmed control with complete results for basic converters, and much more.

This edition includes many new examples, illustrations, and exercises to guide students and professionals through the intricacies of power electronics design. Fundamentals of Power Electronics, Second Edition, is intended for use in introductory power electronics courses and related fields for both senior undergraduates and first-year graduate students interested in converter circuits and electronics, control systems, and magnetic and power systems. It will also be an invaluable reference for professionals working in power electronics, power conversion, and analog and digital electronics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

5-0 out of 5 stars excellent book but beware of pirated copies sold on Amazon
This is an excellent book teaching the basics of power electronics system design.It also helps because the author himself is teaching the course at UC Boulder.
However, be careful of outdated pirated copies (Hardcover Chinese student editions) being sold on Amazon.

5-0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Book!
The book is an excellent text for understanding power electronics and power supplies.My background is in analog circuits, microelectronics, RF, and high-voltage, and I found this book very easy to follow and extraordinarily thorough.The device physics in this book is a little thin, but not a concern to me. I would recommend Mohan's book for a more in-depth treatment of device physics or other device physics texts.Having already read half the book, I am currently in the midst of repairing a 14kVDC power supply for a radar system and this book made it very easy to troubleshoot and repair an inoperative power supply.I would highly recommend this book for someone looking to understand the inner-workings of power supplies, or power electronics in general down to its 'nuts and bolts'.

5-0 out of 5 stars Amazing Overview of Convertes / Converter Theory
I was very pleased with this book....it covers basic converter analysis, both in steady-state and discontinuous mode. Filters, transforms, inductances, and idealized / realistic switches are reviewed in detail.

I have read many books that try to deal with converter or inverter analysis, and all have fallen short compared to this book. The authors keep the subject very abstract, and material is not presented from a math-heavy perspective (which I think makes reading very difficult). However, the material presented in this book IS in-depth and comprehensive.

Highly recommended!

5-0 out of 5 stars Deep analysis and engineering, less of a component and technology survey
This is much less of a technology survey book than a serious, detailed engineering text. We jump right into transient analysis of switching converters, differential equations, frequency response plots, gain curves and other elements of hard-core engineering. If you want to know what components to buy off the shelf, this is not the book for you.If, as was my case, you are thinking of trying to design some power electronics, this is definitely the book for you. In the end, I hired one of the top power electronics people in the country. Largely thanks to having read this book I was able to understand what he was doing, and provide useful input to the design trade-offs we were making.

I am a little hesitant to give this book 5 stars because it targets a very narrow audience, but I feel it does a great job of meeting the needs of that audience, so 5 stars it is. I think the author of the 1-star review does a good job of explaining who this book *isnt* for. I am happy to offset him.

5-0 out of 5 stars BEST BOOK ON POWER ELECTRONICS
This is the best book on Power Electronics . The other good book is by Ned Mohan on Power Electronics . These are the 2 best books in the market for Power Electronics . I bought a lot of books on Power Electronics such as the one by Philip Krein , one by Kassakien , one by Rashid , one by Bose and this is my advice --- ONLY BUY THE ABOVE 2 BOOKS and SAVE YOUR MONEY . The concepts in this great book on Power Electronics are explained better than the one by Ned Mohan but I think the Ned Mohan book covers more concepts . If you are a student taking Power Electronics course and need a solid textbook , this is a bargain . Highly recommended -- 5 stars . ... Read more


9. Electronics Projects For Dummies
by Mr. Earl Boysen, Nancy C. Muir
Paperback: 408 Pages (2006-07-31)
list price: US$24.99 -- used & new: US$9.54
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0470009683
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
These projects are fun to build and fun to use


Make lights dance to music, play with radio remote control, or build your own metal detector

Who says the Science Fair has to end? If you love building gadgets, this book belongs on your radar. Here are complete directions for building ten cool creations that involve light, sound, or vibrations -- a weird microphone, remote control gizmos, talking toys, and more, with full parts and tools lists, safety guidelines, and wiring schematics.

Check out ten cool electronics projects, including
* Chapter 8 -- Surfing the Radio Waves (how to make your own radio)
* Chapter 9 -- Scary Pumpkins (crazy Halloween decorations that have sound, light, and movement)
* Chapter 12 -- Hitting Paydirt with an Electronic Metal Detector (a project that can pay for itself)

Discover how to
* Handle electronic components safely
* Read a circuit diagram
* Troubleshoot circuits with a multimeter
* Build light-activated gadgets
* Set up a motion detector
* Transform electromagnetic waves into sound

Companion Web site
* Go to www.dummies.com/go/electronicsprojectsfd
* Explore new projects with other electronics hobbyists
* Find additional information and project opportunities ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

5-0 out of 5 stars excelent for beginners
I bouth this book with Electronics for dummies. I think that both are excelent for beginners.

5-0 out of 5 stars Wonderful fun to build.
I've built several of these projects, using the electronics but designing my own graphics and containers. The circuits are clear and function properly. I adapt them for soldered circuit boards and that works well. I'd recommend this book highly.

1-0 out of 5 stars AVOID if you wish to learn ANYTHING useful about electronics.

I thought the point of this book, as the books Intro alludes to, was to learn the most simple and basic fundamentals of electronics through building the projects covered in the book.The back of the book says the reader will discover how to "Troubleshoot circuits with a multimeter" among other things but doesn't give us the knowledge necessary to do so.

This book has a lot of shortcomings.Here's just one example.

This book has only about HALF of a single page dedicated to resistors!For something so significant and "used all the time in electronics circuits" as the author states, there needs to be more coverage.What's more, the information needs to be INFORMATIVE and useful.

To further illustrate... The author tells us that the measurement of resistors are "usually given in thousands (kohms) or millions (megohms) of ohms" and that resistors have colored bands that can be used to indicate their value.Instead of informing us how to interpret those values by looking at the colored bands or providing a simple chart (like another book that I have does), he tells us to "just read the packaging your resistor comes in or test it with a multimeter."UNBELIEVABLE!!!Imagine the potential (more like INEVITABLE) headaches that would be caused if you did things that way.

To illustrate...
Let's say a resistor accidentally finds it's way into the wrong container.You put a project together with that resistor, not knowing it's the wrong value, and end up wasting a lot of time in frustration trying to figure out exactly why your project won't work the way it's supposed to.Or worse, maybe even risk the possibility of damaging other components.

For the 2nd recommendation for determining a resistors value the author, on page 77, states that instead of using the colored bands on resistors to know what value it is, "an easier way" is to guess what the value is, then dial a multimeter to that value to test it and, depending on the reading you come up with, adjust the dial up or down until you finally get the right number.Sure, if you have no ambitions beyond this book it's easier in the short term, otherwise you're doing yourself a HUGE disservice.For a scenario...

Imagine you're doing an electronics project and you don't have a new resistor on hand in the value that you need.You do, however, have a scrap bin of old circuit boards taken from discarded electronics that you salvage components from.You believe there has to be at least one resistor in your bin with the value that you need.Imagine how much faster you'd find that component knowing that you needed a resistor with an orange, white, yellow then silver band as opposed to checking each resistor and playing the guessing game the author recommends.

Giving bad advice like what I've just described is a terrible way to start off learning electronics.To give an analogy, a good piano teacher will instruct their students to use proper posture and hand/finger technique.Sure it would be easier for the student at this point in time to go the lazy route when all they're playing is Mary Had a Little Lamb and Row Row Row Your Boat, but as they advance to more challenging music that laziness is going to make things difficult for them and impede their progress.This isn't exactly a good analogy but it's obvious enough what the point is.

IMPORTANT NOTE:If you have/buy this book and intend to do the projects, you'll need to visit the authors website where he has notations of mistakes that were made in the book.Some projects have missing components or ones that are listed with incorrect values.I don't recall exactly what, but the website lists them somewhere so be sure to find out what they are before you head out to the local electronics shop or place an order online for the parts you need.


I'm a beginner in electronics with ambitions to really learn what makes electronic devices tick.Part of my learning strategy has been to start off with a few basic books to make sure I gain a solid foundation and have no gaps in the fundamentals before I attempt to tackle the more technical and pedantic texts.This book has sorely failed me.The favorable reviews are not accurate portrayals of this waste of paper.

A couple of other gripes:

I feel like I bought an infomercial. There are too many plugs for the authors other book.If he doesn't teach anything worthwhile in this book and didn't live up to a fraction of the positive reviews on here, why in the world would I bother to buy his other one?Remember in the movie "A Christmas Story" when Ralphie gets his Little Orphan Annie decoder ring only to find that it's "a crummy commercial"?That's about what this book feels like to me.

BTW - The photos are terrible.It's very obvious that most of them were haphazardly shot without any concern of how they'd turn out.Dark components on top of dark backgrounds, poor lighting, no attention to detail, etc.

To sum things up, I'VE BEEN RIPPED OFF.

If you're looking for an electronics project book, you might want to look into "Junkbots, Bugbots, & Bots on Wheels" by Dave Hrynkiw and Mark W. Tilden as an alternative.
I have no affiliation with this book, it's authors, or benefit in any way, shape, or form by recommending it.
Although I haven't completely finished it yet, I feel satisfied with the knowledge I've gained thus far.

3-0 out of 5 stars Not dumb enough for me
I am still searching for a book for REAL Dummies.. people who have never wired a circuit and who are still struggling with First grade concepts like "what is a volt, what is an ampere? How do I wire up one LED so that it will light up? Is it positive to negative or the other way round?"

This book is not really for that kind of dummy. It starts you off with a project that involves about 50 resistors, integrated circuits, etc. It should not be called 'for dummies', but simply "simple projects for home hobbyists."

Having learned to wire my single LED (from relatives and the internet), and thus discovering what resistors are all about, I want to build an equally simple circuit to discover what a Capacitor is all about.
I am still looking for the first grade primer that will guide me in these basic learning exercises, but this book isn't it.

3-0 out of 5 stars Electronics Projects For Dummies
This book offers no significant understanding of electronics or of the components used in it. Rather than encroach on the sales of his co-authored book Electronics For Dummies, Boysen simplifies his book of Electronic Projects to the point of incoherence. There is some explanation of what a component is doing in the circuit, but the explanations are very brief, and there is no background understanding provided for comprehending the significance of the explanation.

There is no discussion of current flow (negative to positive vs positive to negative) and of how current flow determines where in a circuit a component is placed. There is only a brief discussion on how to read and interpret a schematic, the discussion being on the meaning of the symbols. The authors spend more time telling you how to use a soldering iron than how to understand what it is you're actually doing when you replicate the schematic on the breadboard. As they describe step-by-step (along with photos) how to layout and wire the breadboard, they do not associate the procedure back to the schematic. Never do they say anything such as: "Now here in the schematic we see x occurring, and so on our breadboard we do y."

They very briefly explain how a breadboard itself is pre-wired but do not refer back to that explanation during the initial projects to clarify what it is they're doing. A study of the second project, a parabolic microphone, a less detailed project than the first, allows an easy comparison between schematic and completed breadboard and will clear up any confusion for the reader - no thanks to the authors. This completed breadboard is shown early in the book, with components labeled, as an example of what a completed board looks like, and shown again in the chapter on its project. But they don't take the trouble to be helpful to beginners and mention the IC is oriented top to the left. But then, the only help they're really giving anyway is telling you what to do, not why you do it.

There are no design tips, such as: "If you want a circuit that does x then these are the electrical conditions under which x would occur and this is how you might go about designing a circuit to make x occur." They don't explain how they went about designing the various circuits in their projects. Nor is there is any mention of any useful conventions or possible mistakes in drafting a schematic. When a sub-circuit (potentiometer/IC amp/speaker) is literally duplicated from one project to another, they don't point that out. This modularity is significant and they see no reason to mention it.

An advantage of the book, I suppose, is that you don't have to understand electronics to follow the step-by-step instructions for building the projects in it. Just skip the explanation of the schematic, which is only marginally helpful anyway, and connect the dots the way they show. Another analogy is painting by numbers. This color goes here, here and here, and this other color goes right there and nowhere else. You might learn how to paint that way, but it's a pretty mindless way to teach it.

There is a glossary but it is elementary. The entry for current is: "The flow of an electrical charge", with no mention of Ohm's Law, which the authors stated on page 19. If you look up Ohm's Law in the glossary you read: "The equation that you use to calculate voltage, current, and resistance, or power", with no reference to what the law says or where it is given in the book.

There are 10 projects. The first project results in LED lights that react to high or low frequencies of sound, so you get a blinking light show. That's followed by a parabolic microphone, then a circuit designed around a programmable IC sound chip that's activated by pressure switches which they put in a doll. Finally at project 4 you get to see the schematic for an AM radio, the first project that interested me, but since most of the electronics for it is on an integrated circuit, there isn't much to learn from this project.

Next we get two plastic pumpkins, one of which transmits an infrared beam to the other. When the beam is broken, the other pumpkin is activated to speak or play a recorded sound. This has applications outside of pumpkins, for an alarm system, of course. So this project has some appeal.

Project 6 involves timing a collection of LEDs to create a sequence of images, which they call Dancing Dolphins. Next they control a little 3-wheeled go-kart via infrared, which involves an infrared receiver and transmitter like in the pumpkins, although in this case the transmitter is a remote control for the electric motor in the go-kart.

After that you get a metal detector with a maximum sensitivity range of about an inch, then a project called Sensitive Sam, which involves a motorized cart that can follow, via sensors, a track on the floor created by black electrical tape, as long as the floor is otherwise shiny or reflective. With a radio wave remote you build you can control the cart's speed, honk its horn or turn it off.

The last project, which should have been one of the first, is a small box that detects its own motion off the horizontal via a tilt switch, which activates a sound chip. It contains a microphone for recording into the sound chip. This project does not require a computer to get your voice into the chip. It uses the same chip used in the talking pumpkin. In fact, the schematic for this is a slight simplification or variation of that for the pumpkin that receives the infrared beam. The authors do not mention this similarity, and because the schematics have to accommodate the few differences in the components they require, they are not drawn so that they mirror the similarities between them.

They're of little help in gathering the components for the projects. An appendix with a comparative chart of the components used in the book would have been helpful. They list what you need within a project's chapter, such as "100 microfarad electrolytic capacitor", which does tell you what you need in this case, if you can figure out how to find that in the huge electronics catalogs online, but there's no general suggestions about capacitors and resistors for future projects using AA batteries or other low voltage projects. If you want to buy in bulk they don't point you in the right direction: "Get a bunch of these, and these, and a lesser amount of these, and you'll probably appreciate a wide assortment of these, and you won't need any of these for a while but you might as well get one or two of these." They're no help whatsoever in choosing a multimeter: what features would be useful to a hobbyist and which are superfluous.

If you want merely to learn how to assemble some simple circuits and don't mind not learning any electronics along the way, and you like the projects the book offers, then this book can suffice.In the final chapters, the authors give helpful suggestions of where to go next. Among their suggestions the only two books they recommend are: Electronics For Dummies by Gordon McComb and Earl Boysen, and The Art of Electronics by Paul Horiwitz and Winfield Hill. I think I'll pass on the Dummy book.
... Read more


10. Power Electronics: Converters, Applications, and Design
by Ned Mohan, Tore M. Undeland, William P. Robbins
Hardcover: 824 Pages (2002-10-10)
-- used & new: US$57.53
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0471226939
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
Offering step-by-step, in-depth coverage, the new Third Edition of Power Electronics: Converters, Applications, and Design provides a cohesive presentation of power electronics fundamentals for applications and design in the power range of 500 kW or less. The text describes a variety of practical and emerging power electronic converters made feasible by the new generation of power semiconductor devices. The new edition is now enhanced with a new CD-ROM, complete with PSpice-based examples, a new magnetics design program, and PowerPoint slides. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

4-0 out of 5 stars Great book for Electrical Engineering students
This book is great for Electrical Engineering students. I hardly ever find myself wondering what the authors meant because of the very simple and clear writing style used in this text. I think a bit of colour in pictures and circuits would help visual learners such as myself but I'm not complaining. It's black and white start to finish but the method of explanation makes up for this one quirk. All in all, it's a great book and I think I'll be keeping this book forever as reference and not sell it like most of my other engineering textbooks.

Shipping to Canada was also very fast (3days).

5-0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
I use this book to study fow a Power Electronics course. It is a good book and lightweight. 5 stars. Bought it directly from Amazon. Good shipping conditions.

1-0 out of 5 stars Lousy Diagrams
I will work hard to sell this book soon.Understanding Power Electronics needs understanding of output waveforms of circuits.A sine-qua-non of waveform study is to be presented with diagrams that are clear and easy to understand.In this aspect this book is junk.'A picture is a thousand words' so the saying goes - I rest my case.What do you say about someone who draws a voltage and a current waveform in one diagram?Or several voltage and current waveforms in one diagram?Vs, supply voltage, Vd, diode drop, Vo output voltage, everything in one diagram and they overlap to say the least and also all in the same color - black.Sloppy and Lazy just about sums it up.These idiots think that such concepts are so simple that one need not sweat it to present them in a more clear fashion.It is evident that these people dont teach for a living - they do research and ask their TAs to do the teaching.One more caveat, dont buy the book written by that other fellow Dr. B.K.Bose.He too I am sure is stuffed to the gills with knowledge and wisdom a la Dr.Mohan here but his ability to present concepts in a simple manner with clear pictures and diagrams also is very suspect.Another $100+ went down the drain for me.My search for a good Power Electronics book goes on.If anyone knows of a good book please help.How much does it take to explain a simple rectifier and inverter circuits?Ye Gods.

5-0 out of 5 stars Great Book
Great book with excellent questions and thorough analysis of basic analog power circuits and their uses.

4-0 out of 5 stars Very good survey, but not exactly what I was looking for
This is a great survey of power electronics for someone with a modest electrical engineering background. It presents terminology, hardware, circuits and analysis in an approachable and well organized way.After reading it, someone with little prior experience can have a clear sense of what the field is about, what devices are available, and what technology is appropriate for specific power and voltage levels.

That said, as another reviewer pointed out, the book is a little light on math and detailed circuit topology.Erickson and Maksimovic was a much better fit for my needs. ... Read more


11. Handmade Electronic Music: The Art of Hardware Hacking
by Nicolas Collins
Paperback: 360 Pages (2009-04-13)
list price: US$35.95 -- used & new: US$28.25
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0415998735
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description

Handmade Electronic Music: The Art of Hardware Hacking provides a long-needed, practical, and engaging introduction to the craft of making - as well as creatively cannibalizing - electronic circuits for artistic purposes. With a sense of adventure and no prior knowledge, the reader can subvert the intentions designed into devices such as radios and toys to discover a new sonic world. At a time when computers dominate music production, this book offers a rare glimpse into the core technology of early live electronic music, as well as more recent developments at the hands of emerging artists. In addition to advice on hacking found electronics, the reader learns how to make contact microphones, pickups for electromagnetic fields, oscillators, distortion boxes, and unusual signal processors cheaply and quickly.

This revised and expanded second edition is extensively illustrated and includes a DVD featuring eighty-seven video clips and twenty audio tracks by over one hundred hackers, benders, musicians, artists, and inventors from around the world, as well as thirteen video tutorials demonstrating projects in the book. Further enhancements include additional projects, photographs, diagrams, and illustrations.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

5-0 out of 5 stars the bese book ever.
This book is what every IC Bender needs it goes from the simple project to various experimental projects and the vidoes are a huge help. A must have for those who want some new ideas in beding.

5-0 out of 5 stars Great way to get your hands charged for the first time
This book is, apparently, compiled from course materials for what must be a very fun class.It mostly covers two broad topics.First, producing unexpected sounds from radios and the circuit boards in toys, and modifying those devices in simple ways, such as adding photoresistors or new circuit board connections.Second, building simple synthesizers from scratch.The skills taught are basic, and form the building blocks for infinite exploration.The tools and parts needed are all inexpensive (often costing mere pennies).The included CD is great fun, but best saved for later listening, since it contains "spoilers" of what some of the projects might sound like.

Because of the book's origination in a class situation, the explanations and pictures are not always ideally clear.There are a lot of typos. However, the writing is so engaging and the book is so much fun that it still deserves 5 stars.Where the book is incomplete ("how to I de-solder something?"), the Web is there.

The book is clearly aimed at musicians without any electronics experience.Nonmusicians might still enjoy it, but a joy in playing with sound is absolutely required.I suspect the book would be way too basic for people with any significant experience in electronics.

As sidebars, the book includes a considerable amount of history of electronic music -- who's who and what they've been up to.

5-0 out of 5 stars If you can't crack it open, it doesn't really belong to you.
A great guide to taking apart old electronic noisemakers and turning them into something new. Also includes simple DIY electronic circuits with all the steps. The projects are compelling and workable. Give this to a young person and change their whole outlook on DIY.

5-0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book, Great For Novices & Experienced Alike
This is a really fun book, with lots of projects for budding electronic musicians. But it goes beyond that: It's a solid intro to electronics and CMOS components. I went into this book thinking it might be too basic, yet I walked away with a lot of ideas, and some interesting new techniquess.

I wish that more electronics writers would cover the material with this author's style and accuracy. Also, kudos for providing parts sources and for using easy to find and inexpensive components. (I've seen many people, myself included, become frustrated by hard-to-find parts lists or the use of discontinued items. These projects suffer from neither of those problems.)

In the end, you'll be left wanting to know more about the components and techniques you've picked up. (You'll probably want to add Don Lancaster's classic CMOS Cookbook to your shopping cart. It will give you the details about many of these components.) Highly recommended. I'm looking forward to other books by this author.

5-0 out of 5 stars so good for electronic musicians and composers
Ah ! this book is one of the best i bought.
I just love it !! ... Read more


12. Electronic Commerce
by Gary Schneider
Paperback: 680 Pages (2010-05-13)
list price: US$117.95 -- used & new: US$81.00
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0538469242
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
E-commerce can open the door to more opportunities than ever before. But it's also rife with challenges. One book offers solid insight for success in this dynamic marketplace. Packed with real-world examples and cases, ELECTRONIC COMMERCE, 9e delivers comprehensive coverage of emerging online technologies and trends and their influence on the electronic commerce marketplace. It details how the landscape of online commerce is evolving--reflecting changes in the economy and how business and society are responding to those changes. Balancing technological issues with the strategic business aspects of successful e-commerce, the new edition includes expanded coverage of international issues, social networking, mobile commerce,Web 2.0 technologies, and updates on spam, phishing, and identity theft. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

1-0 out of 5 stars Book paid for never received.
I order the book for a college course I am taking on Sept 17, 2010.I still haven't received the book nor have I received any response from Amazon or the dealer about a refund or where the package is.I sent to requests for a tracking number or feedback of any sort and haven't heard from the dealer yet.I do not recommend purchases from this dealer.

1-0 out of 5 stars I never receieved the item.
I never receieved the book that I paid for. After waiting the appropriate shipping period, I have tried to contact the seller without any reply. I would suggest that you stay away from this seller as far as possible.

5-0 out of 5 stars Text Book purchase
The book arrived quick and in very good condition, just like described by the seller. Very glad to find great offers like this one saved me over $70.00.

4-0 out of 5 stars Great book for Ecommerce
Having to pick this book up for a class, I wasn't sure what to expect.I was pleasantly surprised at how good the book was.It's pretty easy to read, there is a ton of information in it, and it's very helpful if you want to start a business online.It's up-to-date too, so you aren't getting weird dot-com info, and you are reading about how some companies failed.All-in-all, it's a good book that I recommend.

4-0 out of 5 stars Pretty well indexed
This is my first ecommerce book. I bought it for class and our midterms and finals were open book from...uh the book! Anyways I found topics, terms, and even names of software companies and corporations easy to find and well indexed in the back. The tests went very smooth! ... Read more


13. ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS
by Byron Hamilton
Paperback: 366 Pages (2010-08-20)
-- used & new: US$34.60
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0077477553
Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
The availability of complete medical information when needed brought the innovation of storing the patient's information electronically. Improvement of patient medical care was and is the catalyst for the electronic health record. Electronic Health Records 2e provides the conceptual theory and hands-on application students need to work in today's medical office. Hands-on practice uses fully-functional demo version of SpringCharts EHR software, downloadable from the Online Learning Center at no charge, is available for students to use. Visit the Online Learning Center at HamiltonEHR2e ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

4-0 out of 5 stars Precise
Just wanted to say that the book I ordered was just as you described. Thanks for saving me so much money--buying from the bookstore is outrageous!

5-0 out of 5 stars Excelent Service
Very fast shipping got pakage with in 3 days of order, book was in condition as advertised. Would definetly buy frm this seller again.

1-0 out of 5 stars Very disappointed in INTELLITECH IT/AV SOLUTIONS
Almost exactly 1 month ago (7/23) I purchased a school book online (standard shipping)for a class that will begin on 8/23. The delivery date was supposed to be 8/16.On 7/23 at 10:23am I received an email confirming IntelliTech IT/AV Solutions shipped the item.Since 8/17, I have emailed this company twice through Amazon to find out where the order was since there does not seem to be any tracking number on this order and no way to contact them directly.I have never even received a response to either request!Customer service?!PUH!This company and their customer service STINKS!I want my money back - yeah, they charged my account the day I purchased the book online.I have purchased several things on Amazon before with no problem whatsoever but this has really discouraged me from going this route again.

4-0 out of 5 stars Electronic Health Records
I haven't used this book yet.I actually don't have a option on this yet.This book is used for a class that I will be taking mid July.
... Read more


14. Electronic Health Records, Second Edition
by Jerome H. Carter
Paperback: 530 Pages (2008-03-15)
list price: US$64.95 -- used & new: US$54.94
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1930513976
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
The leading resource for evaluating, purchasing, implementing, and using an electronic health records (EHR) system, this fully revised new edition continues to help even the most technology challenged reader master key concepts. Electronic Health Records, Second Edition is a user-friendly guide, presenting information in a clear and precise manner, providing readers with a solid understanding of what electronic health records are and do. This new edition features a new section on implementation planning, new chapters on decision support, informatics standards, and project management, clear advice on evaluating and selecting systems, and easy to use tables, diagrams, and figures which allow for easy access to information. Divided into two major sections, the first section of the book serves as a tutorial on technological, business, and legal aspects of EHRs. Using a hands-on workbook approach, the second section focuses on the implementation and management of the EHR system. Also included is the latest information on resources, websites, services, and vendors. Written by authors with extensive EHR implementation experience, Electronic Health Records, Second Edition is the most practical and authoritative guide to understanding the many different aspects of an EHR system. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

5-0 out of 5 stars electronic health record book review
The book was in a very good condition, I was very happy with the service.

5-0 out of 5 stars Great workbook
Dr Carter has created a well organized handbook that should become a professional necessity to both clinicians as well as folks in Information Technology.

The last two thirds of the book is absolutely brilliant.It outlines in a clear workbook like format the process of doing a benefit / cost analysis; going through the selection process; key heuristics in finding the right consulting partner; managing change in the office; dealing with pain of implementation / startup and much more.

Buy this book, skim through the fist 100 or so pages (unless you are a technologist and want to read what a physician has to say about operating systems and data repositories).From page 150 onwards, the book is a must read with every page giving you something to take home.

Well done Dr Carter.

4-0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended by health informaticists
I just attended the American Medical Informatics Assn. (AMIA)meeting and heard an outstanding presentation by Dr. Carter.Other panel speakers highly recommended his book. If the book is nearly as good as the talk, this will be money well spent. ... Read more


15. Electronic Gadgets for the Evil Genius : 28 Build-It-Yourself
by Robert Iannini
Paperback: 302 Pages (2004-03-12)
list price: US$24.95 -- used & new: US$13.28
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0071426094
Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
The do-it-yourself hobbyist market, particularly in the area of electronics, is hotter than ever.This books gives the evil genius loads of projects to delve into, from an ultrasonic microphone, to a body heat detector, and all the way to a Star Wars Light Saber.This book makes creating these devices fun, inexpensive, and easy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (27)

1-0 out of 5 stars What a scam!
You can't do much of anything with the projects in this book unless you are willing to spend about $500.00 up front to buy parts from the author's company. Of course, you don't find this out until you start to read the book. Save yourself the $16.95 and don't even go there!!!

5-0 out of 5 stars Great for the properly trained evil genius
I'm an inventor and bought the book for use in designing an invention.Most would find it interesting.Need to have electronics experience to actually build these circuits.Mostly contains various high voltage types of devices.Some put out lethal levels of voltage and or power.Kids should use this under supervision.Some of these circuits will do more than make your hair stand up.Several could put the heart into fibrillation (I'm a doctor).

3-0 out of 5 stars Not for the inexperienced
For someone who knows what they're doing, this book can be a lot of fun. If you want to go from components to soldering to get a safe fun toy this isn't the book for you.

Yes, if you use the author's website as your sole part source this book is quite the ripoff. However if you use your own PCB, and wholesale parts (or better yet parts from old stereos etc.) you can build the projects for under $100.

Money aside, although these projects are fun.. they can be time consuming, and downright dangerous. Some of the high power projects contain more than enough power to kill you or someone else with ease.

5-0 out of 5 stars He loved it!
Bought this for my boss's son who likes to take her home appliances apart.He thought this was the coolest thing.

4-0 out of 5 stars A good book but don't try building anything unless you know what you're doing
The projects described in this book are if nothing else very interesting.However, outside of science demonstrations I don't think most people will find the gadgets described in this book very useful.But if you are a hobbyist with a penchant for high voltage devices and lasers then this book is loaded with great ideas and information.Yes, the author does advertise his online store quite often throughout the book, but to be fair some of the required components are difficult to find and/or modify.Also, unless you really enjoy PCB design and layout, purchasing the PCBs from the author's store is a huge time saver. As others have stated, a good number of these projects can get either you or someone else seriously hurt or even killed.If you are unfamiliar with how to handle high voltages, controlled expolosions and high powered lasers, then please do not attempt to build any of these projects. ... Read more


16. Schaum's Outline of Electronic Devices and Circuits, Second Edition
by Jimmie J. Cathey
Paperback: 304 Pages (2002-06-05)
list price: US$19.95 -- used & new: US$11.35
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0071362703
Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description

This updated version of its internationally popular predecessor provides and introductory problem-solved text for understanding fundamental concepts of electronic devices, their design, and their circuitry. Providing an interface with Pspice, the most widely used program in electronics, new key features include a new chapter presenting the basics of switched mode power supplies, thirty-one new examples, and twenty-three PS solved problems.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

5-0 out of 5 stars help for the hardest transitional subject for undergrad EE students
For both physics and electrical engineering undergraduates alike, the one to two semester courses you take in electronics shall probably be a difficult transition regardless of how well you did in your circuit analysis course. This is largely due to the fact that nobody tells you WHY this subject is important (to produce nonlinear transfer functions & to perform power amplification- neither which can be accomplished with RLC circuits), or bothers to show you sufficient examples so that you can perform designs of your own. This Schaum's outline is an excellent companion to all of those electronics textbooks that are failing miserably. Other reviewers are right- as a practicing engineer you will probably never be called upon to bias a transistor to get a specified gain, or several other of the basic tasks that this outline goes over in detail. However, you won't be able to graduate until you master these techniques. As an example of its usefulness, I got a B in my first semester of electronics years ago, and for years I could not have told you the first thing about what went on in that class.It seemed that the students that really did well were part magician and part TV repairman. I bought this outline to learn what I should have mastered back in 1979, and the book made me understand the circuit design techniques involved plus brought me up-to-date in design and analysis techniques.
The outline does not talk about the semiconductor physics of electronic devices. Instead it concentrates on design techniques for circuits that incorporate the diode, BJT, FET, and operational amplifier, which are crafts you must master. Included in this outline is how to define an electronic circuit in PSPICE and the last chapter incorporates all you have learned throughout the book into the analysis and design of a switched mode power supply. I highly recommend this book as a supplement to undergraduate electronics textbooks.

4-0 out of 5 stars not too bad
Concisely written, clear in presentation and all derivations. The solved problems are most of the time not horribly illustrative, but for the price of the book, I think the author did a very decent job

3-0 out of 5 stars Could have been better
ELECTRONIC DEVICES & CIRCUITS, SECOND EDITION - CATHEY

It's always interesting to see how authors attempts to fill those niches between basic DC/AC circuit analysis with passive components and analog (linear) circuit design/analysis with active electronic circuit devices. Discounting the fact that this is, after all, an outline on the subject written as a supplement to your text, I'd give it a C+.

About 75% of the book is dedicated to diodes and transistor (all types) amplifier circuits. This is basic resistor biasing, find a load line, and establish the Q-point, kind of stuff. If you're studying to become an analog circuit designer, it is unlikely that ever, in your life, will you be called upon to design such a discrete transistor amplifier; however, this is a "row you'll have to hoe". So if you find yourself in the middle of a blizzard of transistor symbols, parameters, models, characteristics & configurations, this may be of some help; it's no silver bullet.

It would have been nice to have seen some introduction to 1) semiconductor physics, 2) current source biasing, 3) oscillators, 4) basic power supplies, 5) data conversion and 6) integrated circuits and etc.

Best help will be found in 1) DC and small signal examples of BJT and FET transistor design, 2) transistor modeling, 3) better than average SPICE examples, 4) and working with semiconductor parameters. There's a brief introduction to OP Amps and Switching Regulator power supplies. I didn't see a lot of errors and, with most Schaum's Outlines, there are plenty of practice problems.

If you are still looking for help, try looking at some of the books written by Thomas L. Floyd. One hardback - "Fundamentals of Linear Circuits" - now ten or more years old, can be picked up on the used book shelves for about what you will pay for this outline. His books that I've seen are more for the ET than the EE, however if you're looking for another down to earth view of basic analog circuits, I suggest you check it out.

3-0 out of 5 stars My ebook experience
This is my first ebook, and it may be the last for a while. I was able to download the ebook from Amazon without trouble, but I was not able to transfer the ebook from one computer to another, because I couldn't get my Adobe Reader 6.0 activated. Unfortunately, I used my desktop computer to download the ebook, because it is connected to DSL. What I want is to have the ebook on my laptop (not connected to DSL, though), so I can read the ebook at work. The good news is that this ebook didn't cost very much. I also don't think this is Amazon's problem, but they happen to be the messenger.

So far I have read one page of the book, which is not neither good nor bad (meaning 2.5 stars). One of these days I'll get a hold of a hard copy and read the entire book.

3-0 out of 5 stars Schaum's Outlines - Electronic Devices and Circuits
I have read the material through chapter 6, and believe it to be well-presented - concise yet thorough.I am troubled that some of the solved problems seem to have glaring errors.If I am wrong, I hope someonewill correct me (If I were an expert in this field, there would be no pointin buying the publication). On page 84, material is presented thatindicates that for an n-channel MOSFET to be active, vgs must be greaterthan or equal to Vt.Solved problems 4.10 and 4.11 have solutions showingthe MOSFET active with vgs < Vt.Solved problem 4.12 appears to have asimilar error. I am sympathetic to the difficulties of putting togethersuch a publication and ensuring that it's void of errors.To me thesolution is to post an errata sheet on the internet.I have contacted thepublisher seeking an errata sheet for another book.Their response wasbasically, "thank you for bringing the errors to our attention, butno, we can't make the errata sheet available."It seems to me thatposting of errata sheets on the net would enhance the value ofMcGraw-Hill's products.An alternative may be to sponsor a forum orchat-room for each book, so that users could compare thoughts. On thewhole, I rate this publication a B- or C+. I have found this and otherSchaum's Outlines to be helpful when used to augment other materials. ... Read more


17. Electronic Principles
by Albert Malvino
Hardcover: 1012 Pages (1998-02-24)
-- used & new: US$46.67
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0028028333
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
The new edition of Electronic Principles provides the clearest, most complete coverage for use in courses such as Electronic Devices, Linear Electronics, and Electronic Circuits.

It's been updated to keep coverage in step with thefast-changing world of electronics. Yet, it retains Malvino's clear writing style, supported throughout by abundant illustrations and examples. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

4-0 out of 5 stars Good, Useful, but yes, kind of overrated
Following the rave reviews, I picked up that book (6th Edition). Not that I am a beginner in electronics, but I wanted it as a beginners reference that would remind me of some of the basic concepts that I may have forgotten since my electronics course in college. The book definitely has many positives. It is well laid out, the graphs are beautiful. It is visually appealing. As for information it seems accessible in many places albeit sometimes oversimplified.

The main issue is that the explanation isn't always clear and doesn't always drive the point home. I give you too examples. When talking about AC analysis ofamplifiers, I wish the author had taken some time to explain the concept of superposition. Not that I didn't know it from Circuit theory. But the fact that it is at the heart of AC analysis, makes failing to mention it at the very beginning annoying. I remember that this was one of my biggest confusing parts about AC analysis. Why do we short circuit DC sources in AC and open caps in DC. He only mentions superposition in passing later, and definitely had this been my first book I would have been through a lot of confusion. He also kept on using the term "AC ground" without explanation. I can imagine a beginner would be very confused, thinking that this is a real ground. In reality, it just means constant voltage. He also never explains that the premise of this analysis and that the use of superposition is based on the assumption that the transistor is considered a linear device in this case even though it isn't but we try to approximate it that way. I remember back in my college days, I would try to always think of the transistor in terms of transistor curves and exponential equations. Had anyone explained to me that I shouldn't bother and just assume the transistor is linear, it could have saved me a lot of agony.

You see my point? He says things, throws terms, but he doesn't always get to the heart of it, neither does he address all the things that were confusing me when I was starting to learn the subject. That's why I'm saying it's a good book, but it is overrated because a great book would have addressed these confusing matters.

Another example is when I opened up the JFET chapter since I have good background on MOSFETs but didn't remember much of JFETs. He has some good explanation in the beginning but I really disliked his discussion on biasing. Forexample on page 432 he would say "Since VGS is a negative, the source voltage will be slightly larger than the gate voltage". Says who? why? no explanation. I don't think the second part of the sentence necessarily follow from the first part. Also equation 13-12 is not explained where it follows from. Well it's kind of late night and may be I am slow, but I just think it's not well explained.

Aside from all that, you have full page examples that asks you to divide or multiply like it is an arithmetic problem. You have the equation, a few numbers, and all you mentally need to do is to substitute numbers in the equation. I do not really know what purpose that serves aside from making the book bigger, especially when the example comes right after the equation. No insight gained nothing, just plain substitution.

Of course I can't pinpoint every single shortcoming that I saw for lack of time, space, and mainly because I haven't read the book cover to cover, just picking chapters that I feel I want to brush up on the material in them.

So do you believe me when I say overrated?

4-0 out of 5 stars goood basic book
if you just started in electronics this is the book you need. excelent book for beginners

5-0 out of 5 stars Excellent book on analog electronics
I used this book extensivley as a practising electronics engineer. If you dont like this book, you wont like any book ever written or to be written. This book helped me get a patent!. Believe it or not.

5-0 out of 5 stars A must-have book for anyone who wants to learn electronics
After several attempts in the early '80s to get into electronics (which included reading several electronics books and enrollment in a correspondence course for electronics technician), I was in a world of hurting and frustration trying to make sense of what I was reading and learning in electronics. Then, one day I happened to catch a glimpse of the textbook of one of the students of an electronics school in San Francisco in 1984. It read "Electronic Principles." I hurriedly went to the closest bookstore downtown and purchased one. I didn't even know about this book, but it was a risk I had to take. I just wanted to learn electronics. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. Because of Dr. Malvino's book, a whole new world of electronics opened up in front of my eyes. That book was so easy to understand and the numerous examples, diagrams, and troubleshooting problems and tips only reinforced the learning process. I have never read a book that explained the theory on transistors like this book has done; a truly remarkable, detailed, yet crystal clear explanation of operation and design of transistor circuits. The knowledge that I acquired from reading this outstanding book, helped me in my career in the military (mechanical maintenance which included some electrical and electronics systems)for the next twenty something years. Without this book, I would not have pursued such a strong interest in electronics. My most sincere gratitude to you, Dr. Malvino. I still have that 3rd edition on my book shelf, always ready for quick reference. Now that I am about to retire from the military, what would be a better way to enjoy retirement than rekindle my electronics interest. Yes, I had to buy a more updated edition of Dr. Malvino's Electronic Principles book: the 6th edition. As I expected, this book made the mark. Like my old trusty, 3rd edition, it is very easy to understand, and it just makes you want to keep on reading it. An advice for anyone who wants to learn and enjoy electronics without brain torture: Get one of Dr. Malvino's "Electronic Principles" books, and read and learn it by heart. You will not get disappointed.

5-0 out of 5 stars Perhaps the best textbook I've ever seen on any subject
I'm just teaching myself electronics in order to be able to understand and design circuits for musical analog synthesizers, a new hobby I took up a few months ago.As an engineering professor (albeit, thankfully, in a totally unrelated field) I have access to an excellent university library, and I checked out a bunch of basic textbooks on electronics, including Malvino's 3rd edition (1984).This book absolutely blows me away.Anyone who works through this book from cover to cover will learn electronics, almost in spite of himself!I started by trying to work through Horowitz and Hill, but I just wasn't getting it.Then I went back to Grob to brush up on some basics (most importantly, dc and ac theory, reactance vs resistance in particular), and then graduated on to Malvino.

Everything which is unclear in any book you've ever read on electronics is rendered clear and simple in Malvino.The chapters on biasing transistors and coupling and designing simple transistor amplifiers stand out for me in particular for taking a subject which is typically only glossed over in other books and breaking it down to its basic fundamentals, each step illustrated by a nice example, and reinforced with several back-of-chapter problems (with answers to the odd-numbered ones provided in the back of the book -- how about that, Horowitz and Hill?!?!? -- what good are practice problems if you don't know whether you obtained the right answer or not?!?!?).

I can't really speak to the latest edition, but if its anything like the 3rd, then buy it without hesitation!I only wish that the textbooks I have to use in my own classes were written half as well. ... Read more


18. Foundations of Electronics: Circuits & Devices Conventional Flow
by Russell Meade, Robert Diffenderfer
Hardcover: 1072 Pages (2006-06-02)
list price: US$185.95 -- used & new: US$135.00
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 141800541X
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
The conventional flow version of Foundations of Electronics: Circuits and Devices comprehensively teaches electronics fundamentals for both DC and AC circuits, from Ohm's Law through series and parallel circuits, and features strong coverage of solid-state devices theory and important practical circuits in which diodes, BJT's, FET's, MOSFET's and optoelectronic devices are used.The Second Edition has been updated to better provide a foundation in power supplies, amplifiers, oscillators, op-amps, and optoelectronic systems that readers need to launch a career or pursue more advanced study.Real-world color codes and strategic highlighting combine with color charts, photos, schematics, and diagrams to build an understanding of circuits and devices that bridges the gap between must-know theory and hands-on circuit work.Other enhancements include totally new, automated calculations for the formulas in the book on the accompanying CD, and all-new information on admittance and susceptance. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

4-0 out of 5 stars Circuits & Devices (textbook)
This book begins with the basics of electronics and discusses the physics and math of circuits beginning with Ohm's law and goes on to cover the whole scope of electronics.May be an out of date textbook but a very useful reference for anyone in electronics.

5-0 out of 5 stars The best I've ever seen
This textbook is far and away the best I've ever seen on the subject.I wholeheartedly agree with the previous review, and would like to add a few comments of my own.This book, as a stand-alone text, is outstanding.If you combine this book, the lab project manual(sold separately-around $70), and invest around $50 in a Multisim software program(10.1 is the newest version right now), you've just given yourself the basis of an electronics education that will serve you well for the rest of your life.Multisim is basically a circuit prototyping and analysis software package.It has a 3-d breadboard where you can hook up circuits(with around 16,000 different components to choose from) and see how/if they work, analyze and troubleshoot them, etc.Pretty much anything you could do on a breadboard, you can do on Multisim.This book comes with a disk that gives you ready made circuits to open with Multisim to experiment on, and it walks you through doing so.It's unbelievable.The lab manual gives you a ton of actual circuit building experiments to do on an real breadboard...again walking you through.The book itself starts assuming no previous knowledge of electronics, and takes you up through transistors, oscillators, op amps, etc.It has a plethora of examples that are worked out step by step, with practice problems coming every couple of pages, and then chapter review problem at the end of every chapter...all with the answers at the back of the book so that you can check your progress.I've never taken the time to review ANYTHING my whole life, but this book has been such a blessing for me, I just had to.I'm teaching myself electronics, in preparation of starting an Electronics Engineering program at Devry this spring.I just wish I would've bought this book earlier, instead of some others I bought.HIGHLY recommended!

5-0 out of 5 stars Foundations of Electronics: Circuits & Devices Conventional Flow
The Foundations of Electronics: Circuits & Devices Conventional Flow is an outstanding reference for the beginner as well as the engineer.The content is outstanding and the physical binding of the book is sturdy.Content is extensive.It covers theory, circuits, electronics equipment and their use -- including test equipment.This is a must for anyone who wants to seriously pursue electronics. (based upon my 50+ years of electronics experience) ... Read more


19. Beginner's Guide to Reading Schematics
by Robert Traister, Anna Lisk
Paperback: 129 Pages (1991-03-01)
list price: US$14.95 -- used & new: US$8.12
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0830676325
Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
This book aims to give the novice experimenter a basic working knowledge of schematics and other electrical diagrams, describing how they are used in practical circuit analysis, troubleshooting and repair. Readers learn to decipher modern schematic symbols, interconnections and component designations and how these elements are combined to produce progressively more complex circuits. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

3-0 out of 5 stars Esta mas o menos friend!
Mira sinceramente no es el mejor libro para iniciar , realmente era muy basico y no me termino de convencer ...al final lo regale a una escuela

2-0 out of 5 stars Only helpful for complete beginners but may confuse some
If you have absolutely no experience reading schematics this book will help you some. I got it because I have a basic understanding but wanted to brush up and improve my reading skills. The book was of no real help and I stopped reading it halfway through. They show you symbols but give no real explanation of how the acutal equipment functions in the circuit. The author also does a poor job of going trough the paths of more complicated circuits. There is also a full chapter explanation of "symbology" that tries to turn into some sort of sociology/linguistics lecture. Totally unhelpful except in the most basic way. He tried to make a book for the beginner but didn't include enough theory to make the material make sense.

1-0 out of 5 stars Didn't help at all
This book was more about symbols and looking them up and not about actually explaining the flow of electricity through circuits. Anybody can look up symbols in a legend and find out what they are and surely we don't need a whole book about it. However getting use to reading the way electricity flows through various circuits and devices can get pretty confusing and this book did very little to help clear up that. That's what I call reading circuits. I thought this book would have various example circuits of increasing complexity and trace the path of current flow through each one and explain some of the anomalies we might encounter. Thumbs down on this one.

2-0 out of 5 stars Don't bother
I bought this on impulse while ordering another book. Sorry I did, wasted my money. I can't really figure out who the intended audience is: If you have never been exposed to electrical schematics you wouldn't likely want this compendium of symbols with no conceptual background, and if you have had even a little conceptual background you have already been introduced to most of this. You don't need a book to find out what the schematic drawing of a transistor is, for instance, because any instructional material dealing with electronics circuits that you look at will include that information. Reading the individual symbols used in circuit diagrams and schematics isn't difficult- they are just symbols you can look up in any table of electronic symbols. The difficult part is conceptualizing how the components work together by "reading" the schematic- following the signal or current flow or being able to identify functional blocks, something this book does not help you with. All the circuits used as examples in this book are very basic, and the theory that is discussed is very superficial. I am not saying this book has no value, but it's value is minimal and can be easily found in the introductory chapters of most any primer on electronic circuits. For that I recommend a similar vintage TAB book written by G. Randy Sloan entitled "TAB Electronics Guide to Understanding Electricity and Electronics".

5-0 out of 5 stars excellent book
This was an excellent choice. It gave me exactly what I wanted and needed, was in excellent condition, and was received in a timely fashion. Thanks very much. ... Read more


20. Electronic Projects for Musicians (Music Sales America)
by Craig Anderton
Paperback: 300 Pages (2003-09-26)
list price: US$29.99 -- used & new: US$18.43
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0825695023
Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Product Description
How to build pre-amps, tone controls, ring modulators, mixers, and many other inexpensive electronic accessories. Written in simple language, with hundreds of clear illustrations and step-by-step instructions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

3-0 out of 5 stars Worth it
Ive just recently got into DIY guitar effects and read all different sorts of reviews by people about this book.
Ive managed to get quite alot out of this book from a musicians point of view.DIY Muso's generally are not interested in the maths behind electronics and just want to know the ins and outs of how things work when doing some diy work.

Definitely worth purchasing if you are interested in creating some of your own effects and learning how electronics can define your own sound.Pricewise, not too bad.

5-0 out of 5 stars "Thee Book!"
The best book on guitar stomp boxes ever,good luck finding parts now,P.A.I.A still sells his boards and parts but not all.

1-0 out of 5 stars Pass on this one
I picked up a copy of this book to get some creative ideas in my project studio, but this book is clearly for the do-it-yourself hobbyist who might have an interest in music, not for a musician. If you like playing around with circuits, building things from parts and such, this book might be of interest (although there are far better, more detailed electronic home project type books available), this book should probably not have "musician" in the title.

5-0 out of 5 stars electronic projects
Wonderful book!I built about half the projects 25 years ago, and I am so glad it is still in print.The effects are wonderful, very high quality, and the instructions make the construction process very do-able.

4-0 out of 5 stars know what your looking at
i'm in the electronics field but this book is still nice to have around for quick reference, also has some pedal mods in it to ... Read more


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