Practical Electronics for Inventors, Fourth Edition

This is a book that regardless of where you are on your learning path, or where you intend to go, if you are dealing with electronics in any capacity you need this book on your shelf. It doesn't matter if you are designing circuits, lighting a scale model, building custom PCs, a HAM, or figuring out an electrical glitch in your car, this is a wonderful reference to have on hand. Even if you're a student just starting out, this is still a book you want to get sooner or later, preferably sooner to act as a supplement to your studies. The book covers a tremendous amount of ground and gives a great overview from the basics through micrcontrollers. Likewise, this book does cover the laws and theorems of basic theory along with the math involved. In fact the first 1/4 of this book is spent just covering theory. From there it goes into the various components and how they work, circuit design, all sorts of references on how components are labeled, and more. So what exactly is this book then? It's somewhere between a glossary of electrical components and an encyclopedia. At least that's how I would describe it. The explanations are clear, concise, and I find the book overall easy to follow. Unfortunately there is nothing in the way of labs, quizzes, hands-on work, worksheets, etc. In other words, no way to interact with the material. It does offer good (if dated) advice on how to set up a lab, how to interpret readings on test equipment, where to go for supplies, and more along those lines. That's why I HIGHLY recommend this book as a supplement to either as an existing course or program, or as a reference to a hobbyist that is already active in the field. Can someone learn electronics with this book? It depends. As a primary source, I suppose it might be possible, but because it doesn't have the lab work or hands on element, I would say NOT recommended. As a secondary source, reference, or supplement to another program, absolutely. My only real complaint is that this is ready for a 5th Edition. Considering that the authors were doing a revised edition about every seven years or so previously, if anything it's overdue. This was originally written back in 2016 (it's now 2025 as I write this), and there have been advances in technology since then. For example there is no mention of the Raspberry Pi which is also used as a microcontroller and is relevant to robotics and whatnot. Also a few of the sources mentioned are no longer available. However be that as it may, it really doesn't detract from the value of what this book has to offer. Verdict: HIGHLY recommended!

As other reviewer has noted the authors have made a very concientious effort to try to be clear and practical. This is not a theoretical book, although chapter 2 "Theory" alone may well be worth the price for book. Chapter 2 is the most difficult, extensive and theoretical chapter in the book, but worth the effort. The explanations are very detailed and organized on different levels of difficulty. The authors are very systematic in their approach. All basic RC / LC / RLC circuits are explained by calculus, by mechanical / hydraulical analogues and the behaviour is summarized in tables at the end of each section. The authors make a consistent effort to make sure the reader grasps the essentials. Whether the mathematics used in Chapter 2 is difficult or easy depends on the reader's prior background. Some knowledge of basic calculus helps, but is not an absolute requirement, as the solution of the equations is given and rather extensively explained by other means. Complex variables are also used, but the mechanics of complex variables calculations are explained clearly, simply and with enough worked examples and exercises to allow a dedicated reader to be able to learn how to get practical results without getting into the technical details. After chapter 2 the book gets very practical indeed, with detailed coverage of the elements of circuits (chapter 3). This chapter in particular is extremely well written The elements of circuits, from connectors to wires, to the different constructions, advantages, applications and disadvantages of different types of capacitors, resistors, inductors, batteries, connectors and even wires are explained at length. Transistors, Op Amps and Discrete Logic circuits are covered in the following chapters. An overview of microcontrollers and FPGAs is included but is not as deep, so if your interest is specifically in these you will have to expand with another book. Test equipment, oscilloscope and multimeter principles and use, pcb construction, recommndations on building your electronic component stockpile.... This book has almost everything I can think a beginner would need. While the book is not hardcover and somewhat floppy, it is sturdy enough to withstand heavy use. My volume is certainly not falling apart. T printing is black and white only, but the drawings and diagrams are very legible and clear. The paper quality used is a bit uneven throughout, with a few pages here and there printed on what seems more porous paper, but all perfectly legible. Some mistakes have made it to the fourth edition. 1. On pages 182 and 184 the title of the section should be "LCR circuit" instead of "LC circuit" 2. On page 302 section 3.5.2 the denominator of the expression in the example should be 1000 + 3000 ohms, instead of 1000 x 3000 ohms. The result is correctly stated as 4000 ohms. A well deserved best seller. If you know nothing about electronics it will get you to a very decent level of understanding. If you already know about electronics the explanations, tables, and detailed descriptions are very useful. It has a much gentler learning curve than the other classic book with a practical orientation "The Art of Electronics" by Horowitz, buy both if you can, but "Practical Electronics" is an excellent place to start.

Having taken several Electrical Engineering courses as a part of my Software Engineering degree, and developed a keen interest in embedded systems, I wanted to pick up a book for reference on designing and building circuits. I was looking for something that would be useful both for reviewing topics and occasionally teaching myself something new, without wading through pages of examples and exercises, as is common with many full-blown textbooks. I read the description for the book, and it seemed to fit the bill, so I put it on pre-order and waited. It arrived around a week ago, and thus far it seems to be everything I was looking for, and more. If you don't want to sit through the rest of my review, I'll summarize by saying that this book is well worth the price. It is a big book, and covers a wide variety of topics in circuit analysis and design, from basic theory to electric motors to audio electronics. Each chapter includes an overview of the theory and big ideas of the subject, plus practical information for those looking to implement the ideas. I certainly was not disappointed. As I mentioned, this is a large book, checking in at nearly 1000 pages. "You could hurt someone with it," as my old literature teacher used to say. It may weigh heavy on the scale, but is light on your wallet, in the $20-$30 range for a new copy. Another reviewer has pointed out that the low price is partially enabled by printing on rather low-quality paper. This is true; the paper is not of particularly great quality, but in my opinion this does not detract from the book's worth. By no means is the book in danger of falling apart, so I would not let this minor issue deter you from picking up a copy. Now, regarding the content: this book is broken up into 16 chapters, or 17 if you count the three or four-page first chapter. The first "real" chapter is truly colossal, and fills almost 250 pages with the theory of electronic circuits. This alone is worth the price of admission. This is followed by another large chapter that deals with the basic components that are used in circuits everywhere, and includes many useful tables, diagrams, and sketches of almost every variation of the components imaginable (for example, the chapter describes 8 different styles of switches). From here, the book branches out into several areas of circuits. You can continue through the chapters in order, to learn about semiconductors, optoelectronics, and sensors; or you could jump ahead to chapter 12 to start on digital electronics, then continue to microcontrollers and programmable logic. In general, each chapter starts with a basic introduction to the topic, followed by subsections that dig deeper into the specifics. If there is anything to complain about structurally, it would be the rather odd placement of "hands on electronics," which is chapter number 7. The chapter itself focuses on the physical construction of circuits, including safety, diagrams, breadboards, and other lab equipment such as multimeters and power supplies. Given the content of the chapter, I feel that it would have made more sense to place it after the chapter on basic components, rather than wedged between sensors and op-amps. However, I certainly prefer to have the information in a strange location than not at all. All in all, this is an excellent reference for someone who wants a one-stop shop to review any of the wide variety of topics that are covered. This book does seem to be more focused on breadth of topics than depth, so it may be more useful to hobbyists than professionals. In either case, the book should be a valuable pickup for anyone in search of a solid overview of electronic circuits.

This book is packed with information. I don't know if I would recommend it as a first book on electronics. It does have almost 250 pages dedicated to theory, and then it begins breaking down individual electronic components. I am pleased with the book, and it is a good reference as I step back into the world of electronics and design.

Worth to spend money on such a great practical approach book. Not like a traditional engineering book. Recommend to buy for beginner and gray Electrical and electronics engineering students

Practical Electronics for Inventors, Fourth Edition is one of the most complete electronics books I’ve come across. Whether you’re just getting started with electronics or have years of experience building and troubleshooting circuits, there’s a tremendous amount of useful information packed into this book. The authors do an excellent job explaining concepts in a way that is easy to understand while still providing the technical depth needed as your skills grow. Topics range from basic components and circuit theory to more advanced subjects, making it a book that you can continue to reference as you learn. The illustrations, diagrams, and examples help make complex concepts easier to grasp. What I like most is that this isn’t a book you’ll read once and put on a shelf. It serves as both a learning resource and a long-term reference guide for electronics projects, repairs, and experimentation. I’ve already found myself returning to it multiple times when working on projects in my workshop. If you have any interest in electronics, microcontrollers, DIY projects, or circuit design, this book deserves a place in your library. Highly recommended.

I have been using this book to teach a university introductory electronics class for several years, starting with the second edition, through the third edition, and will now start using the Fourth Edition this fall. It is an excellent book at an excellent price. The real value of this book, as I shared with my previous reviews, is the breadth of information that is covered. This is a book that should be on the shelf of any engineer who will ever have to deal with any question of electricity or electronics. Does it cover every topic in exhaustive detail? No, and that is part of its strength. It gives enough information for the novice to get the concept along with ways to find more information. A new chapter has been added on programmable logic, which continues to grow more day by day. In addition to the traditional material on electricity concepts such as voltage, current, and resistance, there is a lot of useful day-to-day information. There is a section on electric motors, a section on home electrical wiring, a section on electrical safety, and lots more. There is a chapter on sensors that is more up to date with the recent advances in less expensive modules that can be used by microcontrollers like the Arduino. Again, no exhaustive detail, but the information is present to spur the reader on to find more detailed information on the internet and in other references. Thankfully, this book is NOT written like a traditional textbook with lots of theories and derivations of equations. It presents what you need to work with electricity and with electronic components. It's a tutor...it gives you the basics so that you then know how to find the information when needed. At over 1000 pages, there's a high probability that any topic the reader wants to know about is at least mentioned along with the means to find further information. Paul Scherz started with a classic book with the first edition. With Simon Monk's addition to the team for the Third and Fourth Editions, this book is destined to be the new standard for electronics instruction.

The book itself is great, and I have no complaints about it. As others have said, the first couple hundred pages on theory can get pretty math heavy, but you can just skip that if that's not your speed. My order fulfillment was terrible. It took a full month for the book to show up, which is asinine given most things show up in a few days with standard shipping. The book was slightly damaged upon arrival, which was disappointing since it was supposed to be new. I gave five stars (and the book really does deserve it) because I don't want to ding the authors for something they have no involment in, but I cannot overstate how frustrated and disappointed I am with the order fulfillment.

This is a heavy weight book. It weighs 2.07kg and has 1027pages (including the index) It was larger than I was expecting. It is a very comprehensive book about electronics. For a budding electronics engineer, it will be excellent. It is very thorough. Being thorough necessitates a lot of mathematical theory. The book assumes knowledge of elementary calculus (differentiation and integration), trigonometry and radians. You will struggle if you aren't familar. Complex numbers are described. It would be advantageous to have prior experience of complex numbers. Being an electronics book, it uses j instead of i. A passing reference to matrices is present. Another review commented there was no colour. Colour would be nice but it would have the book more expensive. Personally, I consider excellent value for money, very thorough and would contribute to excellent designs.

Highly detailed. Lots of examples. Very readable. Because it is theoretical, it is more a "Complete Guide to Electronics" than a "Practical Guide for Inventors"

Il libro è un consistente volume di circa 1000 pagine che propone vari argomenti di elettronica con un orientamento principalmente verso il lato pratico e applicativo, nonostante siano presenti spiegazioni teoriche (principalmente nel capitolo 2 ma anche in altri punti) per giustificare quanto spiegato. La quarta edizione è aggiornata al 2016. Il libro spazia numerosi argomenti, a partire dalle basi teoriche (leggi di Ohm, teoremi di Thevenin e Norton, componenti basilari quali condensatori e induttori), fino ad arrivare a logiche programmabili, microcontrollori ed elettronica digitale in genere, passando prima per componenti generali, amplificatori, filtri, alimentatori etc. Sono presenti numerosi esempi, alcuni esercizi (risolti o proposti, con soluzione) dopo ogni paragrafo e varie tabelle utili da riprendere in mano (come valori comuni di componenti, forme d'onda e così via). Il libro è ovviamente in inglese tuttavia la scrittura è piuttosto scorrevole, quindi per chi ha conoscenze anche non avanzate di inglese ma comunque conosce un po' il gergo tecnico, non è di difficile comprensione. Unica cosa che mi ha dato un po' fastidio è l'uso di unità di misura consuetudinarie (piedi, pollici etc) in luogo delle unità del Sistema Internazionale, ma pazienza... Il libro ha una buona qualità di stampa in bianco e nero e ha una copertina flessibile, che si rovina facilmente, per cui consiglio di mettergli subito una copertina. Tuttavia questa costruzione probabilmente consente di tenerne il prezzo basso, perché 32-33 euro per un volume del genere da 1000 pagine sono davvero pochi. Volendo fare un'accoppiata, consiglio anche il The Art of Electronics di Horowitz e Hill.

Trouvé par hasard sur libgen, le pdf m'a donné envie de l'acheter et à raison : cet ouvrage est excellent ! Le livre est parfait pour apprendre les bases, ou apprendre des notions plus complexes. Je m'en sers personnellement pour des travaux en R&D. J'aurais apprécié une couverture rigide ceci dit, mais pour 40€ je ne m'attendais pas à une qualité incroyable. Pourtant, le papier et l'impression sont d'excellente qualité.

If you are new in electronics world, It has everything you need to know for electronics. Suffice to say if you want to learn electronics from basics, this is very good option. Posting some photos of index for relevant one.