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Make: Electronics (Learning by Discovery) [Paperback]

Charles Platt
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (119 customer reviews)

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Book Description

December 17, 2009 0596153740 978-0596153748 1st

"This is teaching at its best!"

--Hans Camenzind, inventor of the 555 timer (the world's most successful integrated circuit), and author of Much Ado About Almost Nothing: Man's Encounter with the Electron (Booklocker.com)

"A fabulous book: well written, well paced, fun, and informative. I also love the sense of humor. It's very good at disarming the fear. And it's gorgeous. I'll be recommending this book highly."

--Tom Igoe, author of Physical Computing and Making Things Talk

Want to learn the fundamentals of electronics in a fun, hands-on way? With Make: Electronics, you'll start working on real projects as soon as you crack open the book. Explore all of the key components and essential principles through a series of fascinating experiments. You'll build the circuits first, then learn the theory behind them!

Build working devices, from simple to complex You'll start with the basics and then move on to more complicated projects. Go from switching circuits to integrated circuits, and from simple alarms to programmable microcontrollers. Step-by-step instructions and more than 500 full-color photographs and illustrations will help you use -- and understand -- electronics concepts and techniques.

  • Discover by breaking things: experiment with components and learn from failure
  • Set up a tricked-out project space: make a work area at home, equipped with the tools and parts you'll need
  • Learn about key electronic components and their functions within a circuit
  • Create an intrusion alarm, holiday lights, wearable electronic jewelry, audio processors, a reflex tester, and a combination lock
  • Build an autonomous robot cart that can sense its environment and avoid obstacles
  • Get clear, easy-to-understand explanations of what you're doing and why

Frequently Bought Together

Make: Electronics (Learning by Discovery) + Practical Electronics for Inventors, Third Edition + Encyclopedia of Electronic Components Volume 1: Resistors, Capacitors, Inductors, Switches, Encoders, Relays, Transistors
Price for all three: $68.19

Buy the selected items together


Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Charles Platt became interested in computers when he acquired an Ohio Scientific C4P in 1979. After writing and selling software by mail order, he taught classes in BASIC programming, MS-DOS, and subsequently Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. He wrote five computer books during the 1980s.

He has also written science fiction novels such as The Silicon Man (published originally by Wired books) and Protektor (from Avon Books). He stopped writing science fiction when he started contributing to Wired magazine in 1993, and became one of its three senior writers a couple of years later.

Charles began contributing to Make magazine in its third issue and is currently a contributing editor. Make: Electronics is his first book for Make Books. Currently he is designing and building prototypes of medical equipment in his workshop in a northern Arizona wilderness area.


Product Details

  • Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: O'Reilly Media; 1st edition (December 17, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0596153740
  • ISBN-13: 978-0596153748
  • Product Dimensions: 8 x 0.7 x 9.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (119 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,076 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Charles Platt is a Contributing Editor and regular columnist for Make magazine, where he writes about electronics. He is the author of the highly successful introductory hands-on book, Make:Electronics, and is writing a sequel to that book in addition to volumes 2 and 3 of the Encyclopedia of Electronic Components, which was published in the Fall of 2012.

Platt was a Senior Writer for Wired magazine, and has written various computer books. As a prototype designer, he created semi-automated rapid cooling devices with medical applications, and air-deployable equipment for first responders. He was the sole author of four mathematical-graphics software packages, and has been fascinated by electronics since he put together a telephone answering machine from a tape recorder and military-surplus relays at age 15. He lives in a Northern Arizona wilderness area, where he has his own workshop for prototype fabrication and projects that he writes about for Make magazine.

Customer Reviews

The book takes a good look at the subject and explains it very well. mikeatnight  |  55 reviewers made a similar statement
I love a book that really teaches, and this one does. Syd Logan  |  49 reviewers made a similar statement
Highly recommended as a modern first book for electronics. R. Severson  |  47 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
152 of 155 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Beginner Book for Hobbyists/Beginners/Makers December 17, 2009
Format:Paperback
I recommend this book strongly for anyone just starting out in electronics. Many other books introduce the subject of electronics by talking about the early discoveries concerning amber rods, Leyden jars, and static electricity. This book dives right in using parts that you can pick up at a local Radio Shack, or can easily order on-line. And it uses a fun almost playful approach to experimentation. Your first experiment involves touching a battery to your tongue! Man, that will either annoy you into quitting or completely intrigue you into learning more. My bet is it will spark (pun intended) your interest and excitement as it leaves you with a funny metallic taste.

This is exactly the hands-on approach that I was looking for to teach my son. Something that he can read on his own, or read with me. Easy experimentation, clear steps, good photography. No wondering if any of the experiments will fail because they were written only/mainly to think about. These were all written to be DONE by the reader. Getting into the nitty-gritty of learning is easy when you can actively experiment as you learn.

Highly recommended as a modern first book for electronics.

Edited: Added in the comments section that I keep buying copies of this book to give away...
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74 of 75 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I can't say enough good things about this book! I learned more in the first 20 minutes with this book than I did after pouring through several other "electronics basics" books for countless hours.

Instead of starting with math and theory and circuit analysis, this book uses hands on exercises and explains the theories in very easy to understand language and metaphors. But, it still does then circle back to explain the math and theory upon which the practical examples are based.

I'm only about 1/3rd of the way through the book and projects, but I'm excited to get to the point of using IC's. I've browsed ahead enough to be confident that I'm going to be able to put execute on these projects and then put this knowledge to good use.

I highly recommend this for anyone who wants to do some tinkering with electronics of any sort. Personally, I'm experimenting with data acquisition systems in a race car, and I'd like to be able to create and wire up my own sensors instead of being limited to the plug-and-play variety that are very expensive. I believe that this book will get me enough of the basics so that I can tackle these projects. Or, at the very least, I'll be able to intelligently engage my EE friends for help!
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67 of 70 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Experimenter's Guide To Modern Electronics December 15, 2009
Format:Paperback
Charles Platt is a widely published science fiction author, electronics and bioscience consultant and superior educator. This is a guidebook to Electronics worthy of Heathkit in its glory days. It offers a completely hands-on and hands dirty approach including examining and pushing components beyond their limits, and assembling and testing all of the topics you study in the handbook. The pedagogy is clear and succinct. Beautiful full-color illustrations show you how to do "it" and to fully know what to expect on your workbench. Because all concepts are conveyed in this excellent hands-on experimental approach some topics are presented in a different order than that experienced with a conventional introductory electronics textbook. For example, wave shaping based upon 555-timer pulses is fully illustrated, as well as the digital electronics necessary to construct electronic dice, and to experiment with microcontrollers, but operational amplifiers and active filters are omitted in this experimental handbook.

This is a superb introduction to electronics, which will provide the conceptual and experimental bench skills to yield a lifetime of enjoyment.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars Good introduction
It's good book that makes it easy to learn some basic concepts, but it is not very comprehensive. I can easily recommend this to those who are new to electronics.
Published 6 days ago by John H.
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Guide On Electronics
This book does a great job of covering electronic discovery. Provides easy experiments for understanding the principals and gives the background on each.
Published 11 days ago by LongHours
4.0 out of 5 stars I have really enjoyed this book
I have always dabbled with electricity and built Heathkits as a boy. This book explains how electronics works, and I am enjoying it immensely. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Brian P. Lawler
5.0 out of 5 stars Makes Electronics Easy
I really like this. I actually got it on Kindle then returned it. Something like this is easier for me to use in book form. Get the book.
Published 1 month ago by Braxton
4.0 out of 5 stars Great but why no Table of Contents?
It is a fun book ~ you can learn a lot and enjoy doing it. I am totally enjoying playing with electronics again. but there is no table of contents. Giant inconvenience. Read more
Published 1 month ago by W. E. Gore
4.0 out of 5 stars Not for casuals
This is a great book for beginners. It has the minimum theoretical load for understanding the experiments. Results are immediate. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Jorge A. Montes Perez
5.0 out of 5 stars Good for kids and learners
I'm using this to teach my kids some basics about electronics (and to brush up myself), I love the pictures in it, and the little history lessons in there. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Christopher Brandsma
4.0 out of 5 stars Good introduction
This provided a good way to relearn the basics for those of us who haven't done much electronics work since high school physics. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Nate Drexler
5.0 out of 5 stars An easy to follow beginners guide.
I read this book to get an idea on how to develop a project idea. It is easy to read for a beginner and forgoes a lot of the math and theory that the other "introduction"... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Anthony A
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, that's how learning should be
Being a complete novice to electronics I appreciate the immediate hands on approach the author advocates and puts into practice throughout this book. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Jeffrey Dunn
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