Understanding Basic Electronics

Highly recommended for anyone wanting to learn some basic E & M and circuitry. Really really helpful, especially if you tend to be a non-abstract thinker and have trouble visualizing little electrons whizzing around. Makes the abstract more concrete and it's written in a fun way.

This book provides a technical introduction for understanding electronics. Starting with the concept of moving electrons, it builds in short sections to cover voltage, amperage, AC and DC circuits, etc., up to semiconductors and integrated circuits. Despite the whimsical cartoons used throughout the book, it is based from a quantitative and technical approach, starting out with a 60 page math review that includes logarithms, polar coordinates and trigonometry. Some of this may helpful as a refresher, but is much more in depth than what is required for the coverage of the book, where mostly simple algebra is needed. People who are not comfortable with math may find portions of this book confusing or intimidating. Some of the explanations of components and concepts are quite clear. Others jump from a simple premise to a complex idea without a clear bridge. It did help me to understand several concepts and components which I never 'got', but other sections left me totally 'up in the air'. The book is focused on circuits and components typically used in ham radios, but most of these (transistors, vacuum tubes, resistors, amplifiers, etc.) are used/have been used in a variety of electronic devices, and would be useful for a technically minded reader, even if not a 'ham'. Some of the referential information is dated, with instructions for using calculators and computers from 1990, however, if you read past that, the electronics stuff remains current at this level. Disapointing is the lack of summary information for circuits and components that can be used for reference, without having to dig it out of individual chapters each time it is needed. In summary, this 300+ page book is not a quick read or refresher for people who want concise information on electronics. It could be good for a technically inclined person who wants to understand how and why electronic components work. It could also be used as a text for a high school or adult education course on this topic.