Hello Experts/Enthusiasts in Electronics,

I am posting this problem of mine quite seriously and would like to acknowledge if you post your answers/replies to my mail.

The question is about the right reading books to guide me in electronics and what to do next?
I am not electronics educated but studied mechanical engineering as my discipline. However, I am amazed by what it does? By reading a bit in AAC and in books I got a feeling that I can learn and build circuits myself. To this end, I want to ask what good books I can read to improve my understanding.
As I have read some books, I get easily distracted by complicated circuits, jargon, etc which many times derail me from investigating. And when i build something, thats the end of it, I cant think anything. I wish some more ideas were easily and deeply explainable by books. Unfortunately, I cant go back to college. I have to learn it myself and that's a big deal right now.
Could you please as experienced electronics people suggest how to navigate? Does keeping a book like Art of electronics help me ?

Thanks.

 

To this end, I want to ask what good books I can read to improve my understanding.

What is your experience level and what types of things do you want to learn?

Could you please as experienced electronics people suggest how to navigate?

Personally, I feel sorry for anyone who is trying to teach themselves electronics. If you don't have a solid foundation, you won't be able to go very far. There are exceptions, but those people were all exceptionally gifted.

If you don't have a sound foundation, you literally have nothing to build upon.

Does keeping a book like Art of electronics help me ?

Any book is better than nothing, but I consider AOE barely better than nothing.

 

In a bygone era there were monthly magazines that covered a variety of topics in electronics. They were chock full of ideas to stimulate the imagination and always came with explanations of how the circuit worked. I didn't really learn much about circuit design as a 12-year old, but when I took my first university course almost everything felt comfortable. One thing we have now that we did not have in 1960 (when I was 12) was simulators. A simulator is a piece of software that allows you to simulate a circuit, make observations, and perform experiments. It is not very "flashy" in the tabletop sense, but it sure helps bring home the concepts. No need for fancy test equipment like an oscilloscope, which especially in 1960 would have busted my Dad's budget.

Recently one of our other members posted a link to an online archive of Popular Electronics. I recommend a trip down memory lane to see if anything catches your fancy. Especially notable are the issues from 1975 to 1981 that foreshadow the era of personal computers.

https://worldradiohistory.com/Popular-Electronics-Guide.htm

 

A well regarded basic foundation textbook is Electronics Fundamentals, Circuits, Devices, and Applications by David M. Buchla & Thomas L. Floyd. Electronics Fundamentals. Circuits, Devices, and Applications - PDF Drive

The companion Lab Manual is Experiments in Electronics Fundamentals and Electric Circuits Fundamentals: To Accompany Floyd, Electronics Fundamentals and Electric Circuit Fundamentals by David Buchla - PDF Drive

 

Along with PB, I also suggest learning to use a simulator if you want to understand electronics.
A simulator allows you easily build a circuit rapidly for zero expense, and observe voltages and currents anywhere in the circuit (without disturbing its operation), which is not practical with a real circuit.
Several here (along with me) use the free LTspice simulator from Analog Devices.
The learning curve is a little steep, but there is a fairly good tutorial, along with many example circuits to help you get started.
Questions about it on this website will usually also get promptly answered.

 

I'd thoroughly recommend "The Art of Electronics" by Horowitz and Hill. I understood it whilst learning electronics, and after working in the field for 35 years, still refer to it from time to time.