The New York Times Circuits: How Electronic Things Work [Hardcover]

Henry Fountain (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 031228439X | ISBN-13: 978-0312284398 | Publication Date: November 17, 2001 | Edition: 1st

If you've ever wondered how the high-tech gadgets we encounter as we go about our daily lives work, from the computers on our desks, the CD players in our homes (and the remote controls we operate them with), the Automatic Teller Machines at the bank, to the machines that sort billions of pieces of mail everyday, this is the book that has the answers. Compiled from the Circuits section of the New York Times, a guide to the inner workings of computers, the Internet, and many modern electronic devices found in homes, businesses, transportation systems, and medicine. Clear, concise essays and well over one hundred full-color illustrations explain the mysteries of eighty devices that have shaped our lives.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Henry Fountain is the deputy editor of Circuits, The New York Times's weekly section on personal technology. He also writes "Observatory," a column of science news for the paper's Science Times section.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; 1st edition (November 17, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031228439X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312284398
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,554,979 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars ahh so that's how it works, February 11, 2011

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engineering student (santa rosa, ca USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The New York Times Circuits: How Electronic Things Work (Hardcover)

Decided to prepare for Circuits course with some interesting know how on electronics. Book did the job well. Author clearly and simply explains the hows of seemingly complex devices. Pictures are great on their own for general understanding.

4.0 out of 5 stars Visually Delightful and Well Written, January 2, 2010

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Tom K. (Carmel, IN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The New York Times Circuits: How Electronic Things Work (Hardcover)

If you ever wondered how modern things worked - even a little bit curious - you'll enjoy reading or scanning this book. The pictures, graphics and design are outstanding and useful in understanding how things work. The text is written so a general newspaper reader can digest the content. This is a far ranging work with 80 entries. The six sections and a sample from each indicate the range of content and degree or relevance.

Home: Digital camera
Computers: Compressing music
Entertainment: Laser tag
Business: Face recognition
Transportation: Electronic tolls
Science: Weather radar

The book is nearly a decade old, but the content seems just right for a non-technical reader. My only qualm is that the text often repeats much of what has been covered in the graphics.

4.0 out of 5 stars Both a reference and a geeky browser, March 7, 2009

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Chris Mets (Ann Arbor, Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The New York Times Circuits: How Electronic Things Work (Hardcover)

As you'd expect from the New York Times, this book has excellent illustrations and clear, concise explanations of how a long list of electronic machines work. I took it out of the library initially but ended up buying a copy to use as a handy reference. I've also browsed through it in a geeky sort of way. My only beef: No index!