Customer Reviews

Electricity and Basic Electronics

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I am an Electronics Instructor at the Community College level. I have used this book for a number of years as the text in my introduction course. The course is for those who may work a little with electricity/electronics but won't be an electronics technician. The book is laid out in a very readable style, with good examples and problems. I reccommend it as a beginning text for those with an interest in Electronics. I should warn potential readers that some of the "sample Projects" will need modification to work. I also recommend the matching Lab Book.

The 23 chapters comprehensively cover the materials for a 1 semester college or 1 year high school class. The author provides enough conceptual, math and terminology depth to be accurate, while providing enough applications and clear illustrations to facilitate experiential learning. This text covers both electricity and electronics at an introductory level. The many projects would require help from an instructor or team to actually complete in a safe and timely manner. The author provides many relevant examples of usage, but the 1998 text is dated today. A good complement would be The New York Times Circuits: How Electronic Things Work. Students with only basic Algebra I and Geometry could complete this book, if motivated. Better to have completed Algebra II with a B level of mastery. This text could also be complemented with a Radio Shack electronics kit with 80 sample projects, which allows for more rapid application and less purchasing and experimentation. As the world employs more and more electricity and electronics, we have fewer and fewer individuals with even a basic understanding. Completing this text and some of the projects provides that basic grounding.

While this book provides some good basic information, it has several serious errors. It covers good material and all the important topics for a beginning book. However, one of the most notable errors are a graph of current in an inductor on page 159, which does not match the circuit that is associated with it. Particularly, the current is shown decreasing gradually after the switch, which is in series with the inductor, is opened. Another problem is the statement that any two rectivier diodes can be paralleled and the current ratings will add, which is simply not true. These errors show a lack of careful writing and reviewing. I think this book is not worth the price and can be misleading.