As with all my books, I like to treat myself to something special now and again; a book that's really made a name for itself. In doing so, I thought I'd "beef-up" my electronics section and pay heavily (£120) for the latest edition of this "Malvino" book on electronic principles everyone keeps going on about all the time.

Well, it came, and it is about as much use as a wooden arm. It will suffice for a hobbyist/high-school beginner, but for a book to depend on at a university your p*ssin in the wind.

I am absolutely livid. Even a pre-owned copy from the 80's was going to set me back at least £50. I thought this book was going to be some kind of electronics treatise of a bible.

Sadly, it is not. It is riddled with baby-blue and pretty-pink diagrams with a layer of analytical vagueness.

You've been warned!

 

Art of Electronics is my bible.

It's even printed with a similar thin paper and is just as thick as the real Bible.

 

Art of Electronics is my bible.

It's even printed with a similar thin paper and is just as thick as the real Bible.

That one, is going on my Bucket Book List.

Seems the majority of people say it's even great for noobs such as myself:


"I recommend this book to everyone I know interested in electronics regardless of their knowledge and skill level. This book is full of useful circuits that are simple and work great.
Just the other day I needed an absolute value circuit and a peak value circuit, I looked in the index, and there they were. If you know absolutely nothing at all about electronics this book might move a little fast for you, but if you like to learn, and like to think, and want a fantastic electronics reference book, this is the book."

 

I looked at "Art Of Electronics" at the local Barns and Nobles. It's a good book, but I realized that I already have all the information in my library, though it did a good job of consolidating it. I passed, knowing I can find the info in my library if needed.

 

Why the need to buy a book?

Did your internet get cut off?

 

Why the need to buy a book?

Did your internet get cut off?

Hola Roman,

Validity / quality-wise, talking of Internet as a whole makes so little sense as talking of "ebay" as reliable source for buying something.

 

Good point. Ask an electronics related question on the Internet and it leads you to AAC.
Then decide if AAC is a reliable source for reliable answers to questions
such as "Is the Art of Electronics worth buying?"
or "Is All About Circuits a reliable source?".

 

Horses for courses.

I have found over the past couple of years that I prefer reading from a book to find the answer to the majority of my questions. I also much prefer to read a book to learn something new, as I find far too many internet tutorials are written too simply, or too convoluted to be understood (by me). It also annoys me when I find one that is really good, but find out after lesson 4, the author stopped making them.

Interesting thing to note: Wikipedia is more reliable than the Encyclopaedia Britannica. I believe a study in the past found an average of 2.5 errors per wiki page, but 3 per EB page. The reasoning was that even if some troll did change a wiki article, the far greater numbers of 'real' editors would find it quickly and change it back. However, in a published book, even the best intentioned author can make a mistake which gets published and accepted as fact but naiive students. I mean, a book is always right, right?

But then, there's also the physical medium within which the information is held. I am not distracted by YouTube when reading a book. I don't have to be sitting at my desk when I'm reading a book. I can be lying down, or on my side, on the loo, in the garden, etc and read my book - which I can't so easily do with the internet. You can flick through a book and look at the cool graphs and circuits coming up in the next few chapters - this is much harder on the internet. I enjoy getting my read books and randomly opening them up to check I can remember what they've taught me, again, this 'random opening' is nigh impossible on the internet.

Yes, I love my books. Although, with very few exceptions, I don't tend to buy any book listed at more than £5.

Sparky.

 

Depends on how readable you find it, everyone learns differently. I have an old Malvino book on Transistors I found very valuable.

 

I have found over the past couple of years that I prefer reading from a book to find the answer to the majority of my questions. I also much prefer to read a book to learn something new, as I find far too many internet tutorials are written too simply, or too convoluted to be understood (by me).

For quick answers, the web is my go-to source, but for real study, I prefer the printed page. It seems that I am more likely to retain info from a book than from a monitor. I read the World Book Encyclopedia during my pre-teen years (in the 50's,) and I still remember much of what I read. Web reading seems more likely to vanish in the ether.

 

To those that went into electronics as a living the Malvino books may be over simplified. But for me the Malvino book on transistors, finally made things 'click'. I'm a book nut, and have more than I should, on many man subjects of my interests. Even from the net most of my research get's printed out, cause like Sparky, I read in different places at different times.

I think many of the guy's that do this, electronics, for a living, forget you weren't born knowing what you know now. Some do have to struggle with it.

 

I read the World Book Encyclopedia during my pre-teen years (in the 50's,) and I still remember much of what I read.

You did?
So did I, except it was Compton's Encyclopedia.
After that bit of light reading, going to school was like doing jail time.

 

You did?
So did I, except it was Compton's Encyclopedia.
After that bit of light reading, going to school was like doing jail time.

I am not surprised that you also enjoyed the encyclopedia.

Coincidentally, last Friday, I helped to clean out a house belonging to an 87 year old friend. She had a set of World Book that were her son's; they were of the same vintage as mine, and I looked through some of them again. The whole set sold for $3, but I just don't have room for them.

 

Internet, or book? I prefer books, because the info on the internet is just scanned from books. it used to be a few years ago, that if I wanted to see the specs on a chip, I could go to the iternet and find it. but now, all those scaned in books are at sites you have to pay for. a few old signetics, motorola, ti and such books do a lot more good. it might be nice to get the newer versions of those books, but I dont even know if they still make them.
Most of my troubleshooting is on equipment that has no manuals,schematics or other info available, and sometimes I can find something on the net, but not always.

 

I prefer my books in the ebook format these days. I do a lot of reading on tablets or my phone or my computer.
It's nice to have you resources at hand. I read while waiting for the doctors or whenever.
As a speed reader it's nice to instantly read the whole screen at once.

 

I prefer my books in the ebook format these days. I do a lot of reading on tablets or my phone or my computer.
It's nice to have you resources at hand. I read while waiting for the doctors or whenever.
As a speed reader it's nice to instantly read the whole screen at once.

What ereader is that Joe? And what format? Thinking of buying something to be able to read at ease.

Interested.

 

I prefer my books in the ebook format these days. I do a lot of reading on tablets or my phone or my computer.
It's nice to have you resources at hand. I read while waiting for the doctors or whenever.
As a speed reader it's nice to instantly read the whole screen at once.

I was taught in the 7th Grade to speed read. I read so fast I couldn't understand what it was I read. Apparently, I have Cognitive block between my eye's and my brain at that speed. e.g. why my avatar is a Turtle eventually I get there. lol

 

I gave a shot at e-readers (a Kindle), but I didn't manage to utilize them.

Technical books with relevant content spanning several pages, such as equations and tables/figures can't really be parsed easilly in any other format other than a book with all the fingers of your hands between the pages, as bookmarks.
That's one reason why, when I print an electronic copy of a book, I print on landscape, with 2 e-pages per page, with the fold on the short side of the paper.

The other is to save on paper.

 

I must be the odd man out here. I really prefer online and PC based information. Even with a great collection of old technical books I never bother to go get them out anymore. (Apart from an occasional look in a transistor substitution book).

And if I need a circuit i just design it. I haven't gone to get a circuit from a book in 20 years.

 

Technical books with relevant content spanning several pages, such as equations and tables/figures can't really be parsed easilly in any other format other than a book with all the fingers of your hands between the pages, as bookmarks.

Just by comparing what is to read on the screen here, I am afraid of that. You have hit the nail exactly there: browsing is not the same, even if you can put bookmarks...(but not real fingers)!

Anyway I could buy something to read .pdfs even if that sounds limited as a goal.