This book presents difficult topics in an easy-to-understand fashion. Its sparing use of math equations (for instance, the differential equation for inductance is not covered, but its effects are) may be a boon or hindrance, depending on your needs and math skills. Still, I whole heatedly recommend this book to anyone new to electronics, or anyone brushing up on their skills.

I've been very impressed that I have found no spelling or grammatical errors in this book. This author knows the difference between "its", "it's", "you're" and "your" (which if you're a grammar policeman like myself, is a breath of fresh air)

I have read many electrical books,over the years.And this one was a pleasure to work through.The only problem that one might have with the book is that there are no explainations for your answers.So,i would recommend referencing this with other electrical trouble-shooting books.Rea's electronic problem solvers book is a great addendum to explore and inquire over.If your guesstimate assumption is incorrect,it's always comforting to understand why your proposed hypothesis is wrong.Rather than meeting theoretical dead-ends and getting nowhere.I have yet to find the ideal electronics book.This one is still pretty darn good for the sleuthing novice researching advanced electrical uses.

This book has the seeds to become a fantastic book, right now it's above average. I would have given it 3 stars but there is just so much information you can learn from this book.

The real problem is there is a lot that is over-explained for the purposes of teaching oneself and lots of it is disorganized, he needs some pedagogy in his work and to think like a total clueless person - how would you take someone that knows absolutely zip and build and relate the beginning concepts step by step, for your students to build a framework?

In the real world our ancestors did not start with electron theory or physics theory, they went from generalizations to theory. This is keenly forgotten by explaining theory first, instead of going from generalizations and then explaining theory. Humans learn in the former way first, not the latter, theory is for after you've had your "folksy" understanding of electronics. This idea of theory first is a bit preposterous considering how we actually learn in the real world. I hope he takes my criticism not as a slight against his book (which is good), but to improve his communication, organization and teaching of electronics.

It's great as a reference and to teach yourself, but you'll find yourself going to the Web using google and wikipedia will bring you to a better understanding (in combination with the book) by finding other publically available books / articles, written by people who understand how the process of learning works.

I think Stan has excellent writing skills, if not a bit pedantic and academic. This is why I think he should Wiki-Book is book and open it up to other teachers/experts/novices in the field, Wikipedia is so great because errors in expression, and repeting sentences get culled and deleted by many minds.

He should check out Metaphors we live by, by George Lakoff, and do some research into cognitive linguistics to help his pedagogy / communication and teaching skills.

Doing a monolithic work by yourself is hard work, hence I suggest Stan that you open it up for others to edit, organize, and help make THE resource for beginners for the next edition.

Thanks for your hard work!

Just to make this clear, I'm writing this as somebody who does NOT have a degree in Electrical Engineering. I've been trying to get into electronics for years and have tried many different books.

I'll break this review into three sections as I think this book needs three different ratings.

1. 5 stars for teaching basic electronics theory and concepts. The majority of the theory is in the first two sections of the book. After wrestling with "The Art of Electronics" and the 1st edition of "Practical Electronics for Inventors" for years this was the book that finally made sense. The chapters are well paced and the tests are a good way to help think about what you've learned.

2. 3 stars for Section 3. This is an issue because section 3 is where the book starts with diodes, transistors, and electronics circuits. As far as helping us understand electronics, this section is not even near the level of the first two sections of the book. More importantly, the author does not adequately explain the circuits presented.

3. 1 or 2 stars for teaching "Practical" skills. After moving through almost 3 sections of this book, I understand a lot of theory but can't understand what is going in a basic circuit when I look at one. This book is completely lacking in the practical aspect. I assumed all this would be explained in the third section but it isn't.

I think this would be a great first book. You will, however, need other books to learn some practical skills, which is why you wanted to get into electronics in the first place.

This book is fairly comprehensive in terms of describing various electronic phenomena and the formulas which govern them. However, it is lacking in explanations of why things are the way they are. For a teach yourself guide there is not enough information to build up a good mental model of how electronic components really work. For example, this book teaches you that in a capacitor current leads the voltage by a 90 degree, but it gives absolutely no reason why this is so. If you want to learn the mathematic side of electronics this book would be a great resource, but if you want to understand how electricity and electronic components work in detail, you will be disappointed.

As a teacher I find this book to be very helpful for the students to use as reference material. It helps to supplement my course of instruction in Electronics Certification, and preparation for FCC exams.

Thanks very much for giving such a clear vision of how circuits work. I was really lost in my electronic's class. Your explanations of how voltage, resistance, and current interplay was a big help to me.

This provides a comprehensive understanding of electronic theory at the high-school or introductory college level. It focuses more on theory then application and reads like a text-book. For this purpose it is good. It is a bit lighter on the practical side, but reading this first will provide a solid background before setting out to try your hand at home projects.

I would highly recommend this for a student considering or seeking a future in electronics or related high-tech fields as it gives a good base of understanding and also a good flavor for what future studies in electronic engineering or design will be like.

This provides a comprehensive understanding of electronic theory at the high-school or introductory college level. It focuses more on theory then application and reads like a text-book. For this purpose it is good. It is a bit lighter on the practical side, but reading this first will provide a solid background before setting out to try your hand at home projects.

I would highly recommend this for a student considering or seeking a future in electronics or related high-tech fields as it gives a good base of understanding and also a good flavor for what future studies in electronic engineering or design will be like.

I bought this book along with several others to refresh my skills in basic electronics for a job test. Found it ok but the one I bought from HeathKit was far superior for re-learning the material. Best bet to learn basic electronis is to get the HeathKit one.

I just placed order for the book having read through the content online. Just reading through the content alone gave me assurance that it's gonna be a fantastic book.

I just placed order for the book having read through the content online. Just reading through the content alone gave me assurance that it's gonna be a fantastic book.

I bought this text to help me bone up on electronics as part of my HAM Radio advocation. I did not expect such a complete work. As I said in the title you will use this as a reference for years to come. I feel like I got more than my monies worth!

This is a great introduction to electronics. If you're just starting out in electronics this book would make a great companion to your texts.

Clear simple explainations actually make it a fun read. You can easily read this one cover to cover.

My background is in electrical/computer engineering (graduated from Purdue Cal in 1996).