Practical Electronics for Inventors

by Paul Scherz, Simon Monk

The bestselling electronics guide for inventors--now updated to feature the latest technologies and new projects Practical Electronics for Inventors, Third Edition is the essential resource for the 21st century workbench tinkerer. Created to help inventors invent, this book offers comprehensive coverage of the theoretical and practical aspects of electronics€”the very knowledge necessary turn brilliant ideas into functioning devices. This hands-on resource delivers in-depth coverage of basic electronic circuits, integrated circuits, input and output devices, power sources, passive components, semiconductors, microcontrollers, remote control systems, and much more. Examines the how-and-why of electronic theory and function Thousands of photographs, line drawings, schematics, and symbols illustrate key concepts and devices Includes electronic theory basics, fundamental laws and theorems, charts, formulas, and other resources New, updated, and e

Genres: Engineering, Reference, Science, Nonfiction, Technical, Textbooks, Technology

1014 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1998

Reviews

[David]

The first half of the book is theory. Full of excellent illustrations. The part on capacitors and magnets was the most informing piece on the subject I've read. The second half is practical reference.

[Denny · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great guide - loved the library copy & bought one to keep on my shelf for electronics projects as they come up.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just started reading this and already I am impressed. It presents the material assuming the reader has no electronic background but yet does it in an accessible and non-arrogant manner. That is not to say it isn't complex, it is just well organized and written to help bring you through it step by step.

Even the examples questions have the answers right there to check your mastery. I am grateful for that.

If you don't have a background in electronics (as I do not), then I recommend this book before tackling that timeless tome called "The Art of Electronics".

[Bob Edwards · Rating 2 out of 5]

Who writes a book labeled "Practical Electronics for Inventors" and starts it out with two and fifty pages of theory full of "scary math?" I have a BS in Math so it's not that scary it's also not that useful in practice as the author recognizes by showing you "tricks" so that you can avoid it.

I finally gave up after about 300 pages. It still hadn't gotten to any practical examples.

[Dominic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very small amount of mathematical mistakes in the theory section. Other than that, it's a great reference book to theory and practical information.

[Beau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it covers a lot and gives a great background and knowledge about theories, equations and components. Gives a good starting point to deepen your broader thinking.

[Joe Xtarr]

Half of this book is not hands-on or practical. It's way bogged down with theory and math. Nearly every diagram is mislabeled or has a typo. Lots of good info in here but you need to work for it. Not for complete beginners.

[Filip Hlasek · Rating 3 out of 5]

I perhaps expected a little bit more. As this was often presented as a go-to book for electronics, my expectations were very high.

While the title says "Practical", I did not actually find it that much practical. Specifically, the first 250 pages of the book is a pure theory - to be fair, the book is very open about it, warns the reader in the beginning and says that the passage is an optional recommended reading. However, even in the "practical" passage, I often got the feeling that I'm mostly reading through a list of components and their technical specifications. Often these descriptions are very lengthy and detailed to the extend that I'd expect to find in a datasheet. Without a doubt, the text in the book is much more readable than a datasheet, but I was still missing some sense of motivation as I would normally not go to read a datasheet anyway until I really need to use that component. Maybe this book serves more as a reference that can be useful when you need some guidance once you work on a specific project - however in the days of internet, I find it more convenient to search guidance on the internet. I was hoping to get some foundational understanding so that I know what to later search for and was slightly disappointed in that regard. I feel there are several other more concise books that teach the basic concepts without going into unnecessary details that can be learned later when necessary.

On the other hand, there are definitely positive things to say about this book. It is written in a very clearly structured way, the language is very nice, friendly and easy to understand. The technical diagrams are very neat and clear. I like that most of the "practical" and potentially useful areas are covered and it doesn't go into many "exotic" and less common areas of electronics!

[Jesse Rhew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe I ate the whole thing.

Kindle edition sucks. Get the full book so you can leaf through it, look through the diagrams, and keep bookmarks to refer back to.

[Evan Levy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I keep this book in arms reach in my workshop and continue to use it as a reference. It also has very articulate and comprehensive graphs and pictures for subjects that need visual explanations. Great all around book on electronics design and electrical engineering!

[Nathan Mclatchie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book opened my eyes a bit, it reads very smooth.
I didn’t know the math, but that was not a problem.
I kind of skipped everything except the facts, and diagrams.
Front to back, unlike students, because I’m naw and self taught.

[Michael Hooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

The information is accurate, but there are so many errors, both typographical and grammatical, that it was much harder to just relax and absorb the material than need be necessary, also, the examples were very useful study aids, but stopped being used about halfway through the book for some reason.

[Sami Osman · Rating 4 out of 5]

That's perhaps one of the very best books that I've ever read on electronics. It helped me a lot gaining a basic and hands-on knowledge on Analog and Digital Electronics :).

[Ilham Rosihanmajid · Rating 5 out of 5]

i want read

[Daniel Schulte]

2024-03-27: Recommended by random coworker.

[OG Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most important book on practical electronics for the non-electrical engineer.

[Ahmad · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent reference.

Contains all the information you need

[Dayton Outar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very well written. The delivery of communicating ideas leaves no assumption unattended. It is also very comprehensive because of it's thorough approach to details. This is a must-read for all electronics students and enthusiasts.

It not only serves practical use and as a reference material but it delivers a good foundation of mathematics. For those that want to dive deeper into mathematics, they can pick up a good book on Calculus and Fourier Analysis. But my, my, my! What a really good book. It deserves 5-stars.

In order to gain intuition, I recommend a first reading on all topics to get the lay of the land. Then a second reading to fiddle around with circuits and the mathematical concepts that deliver practical responses from the circuits. Then use the book as a reference to come back to when you need to jog your memory or get ideas for a needed circuit.

This is a good book to couple with "The Art of Electronics". But start with this book first. Complete a first and second reading of all the topics, fiddle with the math and the circuit ideas by using an online simulator like EveryCircuit or using your workbench. Then after gaining the intuition, go to "The Art of Electronics" for more ideas.

[Eric Allan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Veeeery thick book. Really just a textbook on electronics. It would take me a year to read this thing. Probably too much info, unless you are an ultra-serious hobbyist.

[Amit · Rating 3 out of 5]

wait

[Bria]

Copy-paste FTW!

[ahmedoank · Rating 4 out of 5]

buku elektronika terbaik
waktu jaman kuliah
#versi saya loh

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy introduction to electronics components. I was able to find a hardbound copy at the county library, which rocks.

[YouMo Mi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and invaluable reference in understanding the physical, chemical, and mathematical concepts underlying practical electronic components and devices.

[Stefany GG · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the title suggests, this is a great practical resource when developing projects whether you are an inventor, engineer or hobbyist.

[Aniruddha Sinha · Rating 3 out of 5]

good

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a book I felt like reading from cover to cover but a valuable reference for someone like me that has a basic grounding in electronics that does not match his enthusiasm.

[James Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic and informative book. I am so glad I bought this. I will say, however, like many text books, it's not appropriate for kindle.

[Sim kimhong]

I think that the book is good for study.it is easy to read.

[Jad Issa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mehhh...