If you had to buy one electronics reference book...what would it be? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: FenderBender
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 22, 2012, 09:24:07 pm
content: Hi everyone,If you had to buy one electronics reference book, which book would you purchase?I have heard great things about the Art of Electronics. I am greatly considering buying it, but is there another book that you would consider superior?I would like to focus mostly on analog electronics design. Though I guess touching on digital is important.Any preferences?

author: Skimask
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 22, 2012, 09:25:14 pm
content: TAOE...On the head, the nail you it...

author: george graves
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 22, 2012, 10:12:01 pm
content: I'd print out a hard copy of the internet.

author: Skimask
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2012, 12:48:42 am
content: Quote from: george graves on December 22, 2012, 10:12:01 pmWould it be double spaced?

author: FenderBender
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2012, 04:30:04 am
content: Quote from: george graves on December 22, 2012, 10:12:01 pmGood one. I wish.Any other suggestions? Or is the consensus TAOE?

author: george graves
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2012, 04:45:28 am
content: I wouldn't suggest a college text book. Too much theory.

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2012, 09:03:32 am
content: It's not a reasonable question, even as a hypothetical. Since, what's thepurposeof the book supposed to be? If you want to actually practice electronics, including designing or servicing things, no such 'all you need to know' book exists. You might find a good educational book like TAoE, but then you'll be stuck without technical data for practical components you'll encounter. And if you want to do something complicated, like RF or computing system design, just forget about that 'one good book' idea.A better question might have been 'what's your favorite electronics book' because that doesn't imply it's going to be good for much by itself.But more practically, why don't you ask 'please post lists of places you go to find electronics books, data, ideas, etc.'I'll start:http://www.abebooks.com/It's a global coop of 2nd hand booksellers, with a unified online search and ordering system. Great place to find excellent books at very low prices. Ahem... or very *high* prices, if you want something that's rare.Only problem is you have to have a title in mind to search for.

author: Neganur
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 23, 2012, 11:19:05 am
content: well, the purpose is in the title I think - "reference book"(I believe reference here means, you can't remember the principle behind a certain ADC technique or maybe some OP amp circuit)I think the Art of Electronic does that pretty well. Also, Leslie Green's book may have the focus on analog electronics that FenderBender is looking for?

author: FenderBender
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2012, 05:39:39 pm
content: TerraHertz. I'm asking this question because I want to buy myself a book for Christmas and I don't have too much money to spend. So if I'm going to buy something I want to get something good. I never said I wanted one book and never get any others because that's just foolish to think a book like that exists.However, I'd like to have a nice book that I can look as a good general overview. Sometimes I forget how to set up an op-amp or bias a transistor. For example, I saw Newnes's Know it All Electrical Engineering at Barnes and Noble yesterday and I was almost going to buy it, but I held back. It was $65. I have a couple EE books but I thought it would be nice to have a book that covers a lot of material and with consistent writing style, diagrams, etc.

author: AndyC_772
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2012, 05:43:41 pm
content: Have a read ofthis little lotif you haven't already - you might not need to buy a textbook at all. Spend the money on tools and components instead.

author: FenderBender
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2012, 06:15:32 pm
content: Looks great! Too bad this material doesn't come in paper print.I have a hard time learning by reading off a computer.

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2012, 06:23:17 pm
content: There are links in each section to a pdf or ps so that you can print it out.

author: FenderBender
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2012, 07:08:53 pm
content: 526 pages on the semiconductor section alone. that should be fun printing out.

author: FenderBender
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2012, 02:44:33 am
content: Well I didn't get too many responses but I bought TAOE for $70 shipped off eBay. Pictures looked like it was almost untouched.Thanks.

author: saturation
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2012, 03:15:08 pm
content: If you know electronics already the only thing of general value is Fink/Christiansen Electronic and Electrical Engineer's handbook [ or any of its competitors]. These contain the blocks and key concepts of engineering.http://www.amazon.com/Standard-Handbook-Electronic-Engineering-Edition/dp/0071384219/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1356361260&sr=8-7&keywords=fink+electronic+engineers+reference+handbookA lot of its contents are not online, so its worth owning. Also, the older texts are not useless, to find info on old gear or techniques you have to go to the older books. For example, the new texts no longer cover CRT monitors or vacuum tubes.As for cost, there are many pirate sites that offer any book for free, so you can use your own moral judgement to decide if you wish to pay for it or not.

author: FenderBender
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2012, 04:51:52 pm
content: I wish I knew electronics completely, though I'm not sure if that's even possible it's kind of like a limit approaching infinity. You can try but you can't know everything!I'm still very much learning. So I think TAOE will do be well. If it doesn't, well I can always buy another book. I'll take a look at that book also.Thanks.PS I picked up this Christiansen book up for free at my local library (they were giving away some books):http://www.amazon.com/Christiansens-Electronics-Problem-Solving-Companion-Worked-Out/dp/007136238XI realized why they are giving it away. Kind of a poor teaching tool. A whole lot of math. Not much understanding of...well anything.

author: BMac
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2013, 01:40:09 pm
content: Just received a copy of "The Art of Electronics" 2nd edition, had an original copy back in college, (probably unloaded it for beer money), appreciating it more now with a few decades of experience under my belt. Thanks to Dave for the reminder on how great this book was...... uhhh, is.BMac

author: Colfaxmingo
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2013, 03:14:25 pm
content: Besides TAOE, which would be a great first choice, I really enjoyed The Electronics Designer's Handbook by L.J. Giacoletto (et all).http://www.abebooks.com/9780070231498/Electronics-Designers-Handbook-Giacoletto-L.J-0070231494/plpIt can be a bit dated in parts, but it is also a bit more intellectual where as TAOE can be a bit more "rule of thumb".

author: olsenn
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2013, 03:30:09 pm
content: I own "The Art of Electronics" (2nd Edition) and I like it, but I wouldn't say it's the best electronics book out there. My favourite references are "Op-Amps For Everyone" (3rd Edition) and "Matters Computational" (for software and logic). Below is a few free references which I find GREAT!http://www.jjj.de/fxt/(Contains online copy of the full Matters Computational book)http://www.ti.com/lit/an/slod006b/slod006b.pdf(An early version of Op-Amps For Everyone that is incomplete, but free)http://www.g3ynh.info/zdocs/AC_theory/index.html(Read through AC Theory for some delightful insight into what electricity ACTUALLY IS)

author: CarlG
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2013, 03:40:21 pm
content: I hope you're aware of that the 3rd edition of TAOE is on its way..like this year hopefullyIt's been rumours about its soon-to-be for at least two years, I think. So if you really is going to by TAOE now, by a used 2nd ed one.I'm impatiently waiting for the 3rd ed!//C

author: poorchava
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 08, 2013, 04:27:19 pm
content: various books by Ulrich Tietze and Christoph Schenk. The authors are german, but the books has been translated into many languages, for sure includin english.

author: rbola35618
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 10, 2013, 05:36:36 am
content: I like the book by Sedra and Smith, Microelectronics is used in most colleges. I think it is a very good book. I refer to it all the time. If you are into CMOS analog design, I like the Jake Baker book of CMOS design, layout and simulation. Those are my favorate books.Robert