[ERRORS & MISTAKES] Practical Electronics For Inventors 4th ed - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: Mozee
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2018, 07:50:32 am
content: Hello guys,I was reading "Practical Electronics for Inventors 4th ed" and found out this curve which doesn't make any sense to me! Now I know that conductors allow for more current increases with some voltage increase but the curve shows that conductors needs much higher voltage for a small amount of current to pass! Same goes with insulators the other way!This is on page 23 of the book.Edit(1):-some more errors:(((ply))) and not polyvinyl chloride" on page 99, and on page 102 the conventional and electron flow current or the polarities are interchanged in the capacitor plates charge transfer figure!

author: KaneTW
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2018, 07:58:13 am
content: This looks wrong. U=RI, so the lower the resistance, the flatter the line.

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2018, 08:06:17 am
content: Diagram is wrong. Axis labels are transposed. Is this a Pearson book?

author: Mozee
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2018, 09:55:20 am
content: Quote from: bd139 on December 14, 2018, 08:06:17 am"Practical Electronics for Inventors 4th ed" .. I just edited my post, sorry for that

author: Mozee
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2018, 09:56:15 am
content: Yea, that's what I thought of too

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2018, 10:31:41 am
content: Quote from: Mozee on December 14, 2018, 09:55:20 amAhh that figures.Had a run in with Dr Monk in the 00's on a software project. Run a mile.Also the book is mostly content free. Lots of words but none of them mean anything useful when aggregated into a concept.

author: Mozee
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2018, 10:35:05 am
content: Any Ideas on how to report this to the authors so it can be corrected the next edition?Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2018, 10:45:10 am
content: I would contact the publisher and see if you can find an editorial office who handles it.There's a hell of a lot more wrong with that book you'll find and no published errata.You can probably contact Simon Monk who might be able to pass it on. Just Google for him - he's easy to find. Paul Scherz however eludes me at least.

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2018, 05:38:08 pm
content: Yes, the graph is hosed and Voltage should be the independent variable but maybe it is useful as a learning experience. Think of what you have learned!I wouldn't waste my time trying to contact anyone. Learn from it, realize that it isn't the only published error you will ever see, and move on.

author: Mozee
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2018, 05:48:19 pm
content: Thanks.. But hmmm.. Can you indicate other errors in this edition so I'll be aware of. As a "kind of" beginner, I don't want to learn something wrong thinking it's the correct thing. I want a clean start not a dirty dusty one if you know what I mean

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2018, 06:02:48 pm
content: This may be unpopular but I would send it back like I did with my copy of 3rd edition.

author: rstofer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2018, 06:21:57 pm
content: I don't have the book so I have no idea what it covers or how many errors it may have.Maybe the more valuable lesson is in questioning everything you read and how it relates to things you already know. Does it seem right? Can you derive what is shown based on things you already know are correct?If you don't understand what the book is showing and you can't prove it for yourself, ask around. Like with this graph, people will jump in to help.If you think this text is bad, wait until you get to datasheets.

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2018, 07:27:12 pm
content: Oh god there are some really shitty datasheets out there. Good point. There’s an LM78L05 one floating around with the wrong pinout.

author: Mozee
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2018, 07:54:38 pm
content: Oh GOD!! I just found some more errors like "(((ply))) and not polyvinyl chloride" on page 99 and on page 102 the conventional and electron flow currentorthe polarities are interchanged in the capacitor plates figure! You guys are making me regretting having this book! Is it that bad really?

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2018, 08:22:30 pm
content: Yep.Honestly with the stuff that you are noticing, you are way above the book anyway. If you don't have a copy already, grab The Art of Electronics.Sample chapter:https://artofelectronics.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/AoE3_chapter9.pdfThe companion book Learning the Art of Electronics is more "practical" than "practical electronics for inventors" (stupid title). It's chock full of errata but at least there is errata!!!https://learningtheartofelectronics.com/errata/... also on two occasions I've had replies directly from the authors via email in under a couple of days.

author: Mozee
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2018, 08:32:34 pm
content: Honestly I finished reading Buchla and Floyd’s book Electronics Fundamentals which was very very useful and easy to understand. There were many things that were not that clear to me and some which i had no interest in (for now) such as Digital electronics. I wanted to read another book to support and reinforce what I learned and I came across this book!Are you sure those books can be better than this one in doing so?Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 14, 2018, 08:42:20 pm
content: 100% sure. It has a publication history spanning 38 years and 3 editions so far, all of which I have bought and used extensively.Perhaps against the grain but I recommend that you find a full PDF (hint: look on Library Genesis) and review the material on any book before you buy it. The first chapter of Art of Electronics is worth reading and working through end to end as a decider before buying.See the chapter 9 PDF I linked above - it has a full table of contents in it as well to see what you're getting. There's not crap like the Monk book which goes on some random diversion of how to build an electronics workbench as well.If I remember correctly, Electronics Fundamentals was the Pearson one I saw a few years ago. The printing was so bad you couldn't work out what the resistor colours wereQuick edit: here's something I actually just threw together a couple of weeks back straight from the book:Works perfectly after faffing around trying to get something relatively stable I designed myself and tried various canned designs off the internet. That's what it's full of. Stuff that works!

author: spec
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 17, 2018, 09:37:33 am
content: Hi MozeePractical Electronics for Inventors is a very good book that manages to explain some quite complex aspects of electronics in simple and direct terms without too much math either. Of course, a professional engineer would find it a touch elementary but that is true of any introductory book in any field.I am afraid that errors are endemic in books, especially technical books, so don't let that put you off this book. As for reporting the errors to the publishers or authors, you may as well pee into the wind. In general, there is no mechanism for correcting errors. Sure you can report an error to the author/publisher and you will possibly get a nice reply thanking you and saying what a valuable customer you are- computers are very polite. Some authors/publishes even have erratas on their sites which you would think would be the answer, but this is just a facade in most cases.But as to getting corrections embodied- forget it. One of the main reasons is the cost and logistics. Just imagine what it would cost to update and republish a book! So you just have to live with errors and not just errors in books; the net is full of errors and misinformation.About errors. The gross (macro) errors are easy to spot and good fun: 'the collector current of the BC546 will be 70A' But it is the little errors (micro) that are often hard to detect and cause the most problems: 'The HFE of a BC546 transistor is Ib/Ie' Some of the worst are in math and programming books, where it is not always easy to spot a mistake, which is subtle. Herbert Schildt, one of the best authors on software, is famous for errors- his books are splattered with them.Recently, I was doing C# on the the latest Windows Visual Studio and had an excellent book on the subject. But the very first code sample had a line missing which meant that it would not run. That took me half a day to sort out.There is a tendency to assume that anything that is in print or on the net has a certain authority and must be true, but this is a fallacy. And when you get to the media, you can pretty much assume that the information is untrue, hearsay, speculation, or opinion being stated as fact.Nearly all of my many books are in electronic form, and I regularly edit them to correct errors.

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 17, 2018, 09:52:00 am
content: Yes and no.A properly edited book like TAOE gets reprinted with errata regularly and errata is published.Practical Electronics for Inventors has had the same errors in it since 2nd edition, published 12 years ago. 2 editions later they haven't ironed any bugs out yet. And there is no errata! That's just crap and doesn't deserve any attention at this point.If you don't complain to the publishers and the authors then the books never get improved and we drown in an ocean of crap. We have the best opportunity now to get rid of all the bad books as public review is possible. Unfortunately the issue is now that most of the reviewers couldn't spot a turd if it was in the middle of the sandwich they were eating.

author: nockieboy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 17, 2018, 10:12:43 am
content: Quote from: bd139 on December 17, 2018, 09:52:00 amSorry, I'm not adding much to this conversation but I have to point out that you made me laugh out loud at the turd-spotting comment!I must agree with your general point, though - as seemingly useless as it may seem pointing these errors out to the publishers etc, if no-one does it then we'll just end up wallowing in an ocean of wrong information. Perhaps if you get no joy via the publishers, the best way to 'feedback' errors is to write public reviews pointing out all the problems - authors and publishers alike don't appreciate bad press and I'm sure will do what they can to correct errors if it's affecting their sales?Thanks for the laugh.

author: spec
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 17, 2018, 10:21:10 am
content: Quote from: bd139 on June 28, 1970, 07:46:43 pmAfraid this is not true- didn't you read my post above You are peeing in the wind complaining.Quote from: bd139 on June 28, 1970, 07:46:43 pmThe authors/publishers take no notice of reviews- how can they and why would they.Quote from: bd139 on June 28, 1970, 07:46:43 pmWhy so bitter BD, I would say that the reviewers on Amazon UK, for example, are excellent, and not only for books, but the authors/publishers, manufacturers take no notice whatsoever. Some professional reviewers fall into your category though. Other are excellent, especially in the photography field.I worked for a large multinational company producing a wide range of products and i can assure you that there was no mechanism whatsoever for customer feedback. Or if there was, like the public relations department, it had no effect on product improvement. You should understand that companies get vast numbers of letters from the general public, most of which are from, lets say unusual people. And your one reasonable letter goes in the waste paper basket along with all the others.The one and only feedback is sales. If sales drop action will often be taken. In the case of a book, it will be dropped as many good books have been. Or there will be endless meetings with experts with the end result that the front cover will be 'sexed up'. There is another aspect too. Many authors/editors/ product designers are very subjective and parochial, and take exception to anyone suggesting that their work somehow needs improvement.

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 17, 2018, 10:54:11 am
content: So you're happy with blindly wandering into Amazon, buying crap like Practical Electronics for Inventors based on the gushing reviews of people who have scanned a through a few pages and have no experience on the material and walking way entirely unknowingly with a book full of errors?That's not a good foundation for learning anything. Unfortunately you're right it is mostly the status quo.But there are exceptions and we would be doing a disfavour to someone entering the field by recommending the status quo rather than the exceptions.Good learning material has:1. An open feedback cycle2. Published errata3. Enough velocity that reprinting is feasible.4. Maturity.5. Accuracy.Art of Electronics has all of these.Practical Electronics for Inventors has none of these to the point it could be described as the antithesis of the Art of Electronics.QED.

author: Wimberleytech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 17, 2018, 12:58:50 pm
content: QuoteThis depends on the author.I am co-author of a technical book (in 3rd edition). We love to get corrections from readers. They are added to an errata that is posted on the internet. Moreover, we include these corrections in subsequent editions.In the first edition, we even made corrections to subsequent printings...it can happen.Most of the notices come to us directly from users. Possibly, some come to us via the publisher...I don't recall.Those who are passionate about their craft (e.g., authors) should embrace input from their user base.

author: Mozee
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 17, 2018, 01:56:22 pm
content: I see differences in the opinions which is totally fine and healthy. All we hope is that whatever book Specially scientific books and because I am interested in Electronics so I would say Electronics books, I hope they become more accurate because as soon as you learn something it is hard to correct itSent from my iPad using Tapatalk

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 17, 2018, 02:00:38 pm
content: Been thinking about this over lunch and I think the best outcome here would be a book edited on github or something. Everyone can contribute patches then to the text and it can be reviewed.Added to bucket todo list

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 17, 2018, 02:10:18 pm
content: Quote from: bd139 on December 17, 2018, 02:00:38 pmOooh. Just like wackypediaThe section on scopes should be non-controversial

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 17, 2018, 02:18:46 pm
content: Well not like wikipedia because there will be no begging from Jimmy Wales on itBut yes, collaborative but heavily moderated. I think it could work and the output would, by nature be open source.Lessons in Electric Circuits and the associated "interhole" allaboutcircuits.com occupies this space at the moment and being me I am not impressedThat is one thing that is missing fromeverybook on electronics; good laboratory technique. So indeed there would need to be a non-controversial scope section. Rise time would be king