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Electronics For Dummies

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Build your electronics workbench—and begin creating fun electronics projects right away

Packed with hundreds of colorful diagrams and photographs, this book provides step-by-step instructions for experiments that show you how electronic components work, advice on choosing and using essential tools, and exciting projects you can build in 30 minutes or less. You'll get charged up as you transform theory into action in chapter after chapter!

Circuit basics — learn what voltage is, where current flows (and doesn't flow), and how power is used in a circuit Critical components — discover how resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes, and transistors control and shape electric current Versatile chips — find out how to use analog and digital integrated circuits to build complex projects with just a few parts Analyze circuits — understand the rules that govern current and voltage and learn how to apply them Safety tips — get a thorough grounding in how to protect yourself—and your electronics—from harm

 

Electronics For Dummies (9781119675594) was previously published as Electronics For Dummies (9781119117971). While this version features a new Dummies cover and design, the content is the same as the prior release and should not be considered a new or updated product.

402 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2005

274 people are currently reading
870 people want to read

About the author

Cathleen Shamieh

18 books2 followers

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5 stars
106 (24%)
4 stars
161 (37%)
3 stars
118 (27%)
2 stars
31 (7%)
1 star
12 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
Profile Image for William Schram.
2,351 reviews99 followers
June 6, 2015
I enjoyed this book but it is pretty simplistic. This is understandable and forgivable since it is a book written for laymen or for people that are totally unfamiliar with Electronics. In that vein of thinking, it makes a lot of comparisons between electronic circuits and plumbing or other things of that nature.

I was only interested in the theory portion of the book, so I didn't read all of it, but I got the gist of it. In any case, this book would be great for hobbyists and others that want to build circuits for fun. It might also help to renew some of that old learning with mentions of Kirchoff and Ohm and all those old guys, but don't really count on it. On the one hand, they do explain some of the equations and do provide examples with worked solutions, but on the other hand, they don't really go into any depth with what they talk about. Thus, this book is good, but not really what I was looking for.
Profile Image for Mohammad.
9 reviews
December 13, 2010
I spent much time looking for the best book to be suitable as an introduction for people who know nothing about electronics, before i found this book.
It is very convenient and practical for beginner inventors and students.
I found much help from this book.
Profile Image for Nicholas.
9 reviews
Read
June 30, 2014
explained quite a bit ... pretty sure i've forgotten everything though...
Profile Image for Luca.
78 reviews16 followers
May 8, 2016
For a complete ignorant like me the book was pretty helpful
Profile Image for Amjad Abdullah.
72 reviews2 followers
August 18, 2019
Good book for beginners. It simplifies things a lot. Although a very beginner won't probably digest all information provided, but one will find many useful info from here and there. I am an electrical engineer and found some useful info in this book. I recommend the book for beginners, intermediates as well as experts (where experts will only need to skim the book for info that they think can be useful just like I did).
This book can be a good companion to Walid Issa series in YouTube: practical electronics course (this is in Arabic though and covers wider topics).
Profile Image for Ivan Koma.
386 reviews1 follower
March 8, 2022
(ПГ) Я хоть и не мастак в электронике, но перепутанные заряды катодов и анодов даже мне бросились в глаза, от этого становится сложно воспринимать дальнейшую информацию, и ведь под опечатку это свести не получается, т.к. здесь есть символы + и -, к сожалению эта ошибка идёт в первой же главе, которую, как известно, полируют тщательнее всего. Я конечно почитал немного дальше, но там возникла уже проблема оборудования как такового, так как книга явно из Северной Америки (используются 120В и 60Гц), все эксперименты, описанные ниже поставлены в неловкое положение...
Если вы в СНГ то лучше поискать русские аналоги
Profile Image for Daniel.
721 reviews2 followers
May 18, 2018
This was fun to read. I have read about electronics before but, did not remember much about it. I figure its because I don't build electronics everyday. I enjoyed learning about capacitors, diodes, transistors, inductors, I also liked the projects. Though I did not make any of the projects front the book. I cant wait to make them. I wonder what type of electronic device I would design and make. I liked learning about breadboards and multi meters. I also liked the supplier list. So much to like about this book.
Profile Image for NotHardlyAlice.
47 reviews1 follower
May 25, 2021
Da profana posso dire che mi è sembrato un ottimo libro per cominciare a darsi all'hobby dell'elettronica. Abbastanza nozioni per capire la scienza alle spalle (senza esagerare con inutili dettagli) e un buon numero di consigli e spiegazioni pratiche. Può essere tranquillamente letto partendo da qualsiasi parte del libro, è ricco infatti di rimandi a dove trovare approfondimenti agli argomenti desiderati senza costringerti a leggerlo tutto.
Profile Image for Damjan Pavlica.
75 reviews10 followers
September 16, 2020
Vanserijski dobra knjiga za početnike koju bih ocenio čistom desetkom! Godinama nisam kapirao osnovne pojmove kao što su struja, napon i slično, ali mi je ova knjiga prilično približila tu tematiku. Svaka čast za autore i hvala!!
Profile Image for Kain.
568 reviews11 followers
August 16, 2019
Jakbym trafił na początku studiów, byłbym bardzo zadowolony. Teraz lekkie przypomnienie, ale za lekkie już. Ale generalnie idea spoko i przystępne tłumaczenia.
3 reviews
August 26, 2022
Absolutely amazing book. It was worth every dollar I spent on it. The early chapters going part by part was absolutely needed for me to improve as a engineer.
Profile Image for Tom.
1 review
February 2, 2023
Great book for dipping your toes in the world of Electronics
Profile Image for Debbie.
3,607 reviews84 followers
December 8, 2016
I found this author to be a good teacher who explained things clearly. The full-color photographs were very helpful. We're told how to set up temporary circuits as a way to demonstrate and better understand how each new concept or part works. The photos clearly show how each circuit should be set up (along with text instructions and a schematic). When a new component is introduced, we're told how it works in easier to understand ways (like water flowing through a pipe which...) and also what everyday things it's used in. This helped me to remember the information. We're given the formulas to calculate the information needed to create our own circuits. The math is demonstrated for each situation so you understand how to do it (if you're not confident with math).

To do all the projects in the book, it'll cost between $100 to $250 total depending on how serious you intend to get. You might already own some of the tools. You initially work with temporary circuits using a solderless breadboard. Near the end, we're told how to solder and create permanent circuit boards, then we're told how to put together several projects that use the information we've learned. However, they aren't encased "finished" projects even if they work.

Overall, I'd recommend this book to those who want to better understand the electronics all around us and to those who want to make it into a hobby.

I received this review copy from the publisher through Amazon Vine.
Profile Image for Muthu Arumugam.
21 reviews
January 16, 2015
I can't believe it when I read this second time this 2015 beginning. I realized it only after I went past 2 chapters and several of them came back slowly. I even remember buying a breadboard or a small electronics kit. Looks like I have to fix my memory to keep the fundamentals to stay with my brain.
Profile Image for Josh Dalzell.
20 reviews
May 17, 2008
This was a pretty good book. It is definitely light on theory and detail, but it covers everything well enough to know what is going on, for the most part. I also liked that it included a number of website addresses for reference.
Profile Image for Grania.
155 reviews
January 4, 2008
I'm reading this for work. I suspect it shall stay on my currently-reading list for a long time. I might just cheat and read the final chapter, then pretend I know how to wire a plug.
Profile Image for Oscar.
43 reviews
February 11, 2011
Good book for if you need to learn how to weild electronics or anything else
Profile Image for محمد خير.
35 reviews1 follower
January 10, 2014
بالنسبة لهي السلسلة مش غالية . 20$ النسخة

. افضل طريقة لقراءة كتاب دارات برأيي انو يكون عندك نسختين . وحدةالكترونية ووحد ورقية .
Profile Image for Tulio Freitas.
7 reviews
Read
May 4, 2019
Vale muito a pena tanto para quem não conhece nada como para quem já conhece suas teorias e quer reafirmar seus conhecimentos em eletrônica de um ponto de vista mais práticos.
1 review
December 6, 2020
Um excelente livro para verdadeiros iniciantes inicia o estudo da eletrônica de forma muito suave e bem explicada.
Profile Image for Suada.
19 reviews
Read
July 31, 2017
to re-read1!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for gabo.
20 reviews1 follower
Read
January 8, 2019
excelente introducción al mundo de los sintetizadores.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews

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