Basic Electronics was written for the student studying the principles and applications of electricity and electronics for the first time. No prior knowledge of the technical aspects of the subject is assumed. For each subject, the basic principles are explained first and are followed by typical applications. Where appropriate, troubleshooting techniques are covered.
This book covers three semesters of electronics. I've made it through one semester. It's structured pretty well with enough overlap that you can pick and choose what you want to focus on. Lots of opportunities to test yourself, or pause for reflection :)
As this is the only electronics book I've ever read it's hard to review.
I will say that the difficulty picked up around chapter 6. I recommend all school students to study the first 6 chapters obsessively to get down the basics and ace the early tests so you can coast through the increasingly difficult ones thereafter. Me? I gave up on the self study as I couldn't reliably absorb the material thenceforth. But I lay the blame a deficient brain, not the book. The book I'll rate 4 stars. Go, book.
I just wish I was up to the challenge of learning electrical schematics. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I studied this book back in the 80s. I think it was the 3rd edition. Now that I am retired from electronics (mostly Avionics) I am reading and studying it again to keep my brain sharp. I also have about 30 other basic electronic text book.
So, my review in a nutshell.... "I DARE YOU TO FIND ANOTHER BASIC ELECTRONIC TEXT BOOK BETTER THAN THIS ONE!!!!!!"
It is step by step, starting at the very basic all the way up to operational amplifiers.
You will have to go to another textbooks for digital electronics (like Malvino) and electronic communications (Shrader) and i also recommend Basic Mathematics for Electronics (Cooke)
NOTE: I started working through the 12th edition, as stated at the start of this read, however, I happened to come across and am finishing up with the 13th edition,which contains a new chapter on three-phase AC power systems along with some technical updates.