Rating: 
Summary: It's good theory, but that's all.
Review: I've always been atracted to playing around with electronics and I thought this book might be just the thing to get me doing cool things with electronics. I hoped this book would inspire me by showing me "real world" examples. But it seemed that the examples were half done. Sure there's a diagram of a high-pass filter, or how op-amps work, but what the heck does all that mean? Where are those examples that will help me invent? I never got the full picture and felt like I was just reading a cliff notes version of a real text book.
It just seemed like I was promised building blocks and instructions and all I got was the instructions to build building blocks. I'll give it a three becuase it does have all the theory in there, but don't get this book looking for a mix of theory and cool circuits... it's all theory.
Rating: 
Summary: Basic electronics theory & applications ...Illustrated
Review: In a great many introductory electronics books, the emphasis is on technical formulas and theory, while practical applications and advice often get lost in a high-tech haze. Not very inspiring ... especially if you want to succeed in turning your ideas into workable electrical gadgets. Practical Electronics for Inventors, on the other hand, gives you information you need, in a format you can work with. Packed with illustrations (over 750 hand-drawn images in all), this crystal-clear, learn-as-you-go guide shows you what a particular device does, what it looks like, how it compares with similar devices, and how it is used in applications. Written by Paul Scherz, a physicist who is also an inventor and electrical hobbyist, this important reference provides beginning hobbyists and inventors with an intuitive grasp of the theoretical and practical aspects of electronics--just the kind of insight you need to get your projects up and running. Starting with a light review of electronics history, physics, and math, the book provides an easy-to-understand overview of all major electronic elements: Basic passive components o Resistors, capacitors, inductors, transformers o Discrete passive circuits o Current limiting networks, voltage dividers, filter circuits, attenuators o Discrete active devices o Diodes, transistors, thrysistors o Discrete active/passive circuits o Rectifiers, amplifiers, modulators, mixers, voltage regulators Along with coverage of integrated circuits (ICs), digital electronics, and various input/output devices, Practical Electronics for Inventors takes you through reading schematics; building and testing prototypes; purchasing electronic components; and safe work practices. You'll find all this--and more--in the guide that's destined to spur you on to new levels of creativity.
Rating:
Summary: Alright...
Review: It's a decent book; I'm presently taking a class being taught using it, and it has been usedful for learning things like AC. However, we just hit transistors - and it falls flat on its face. It just doesn't do enough to make it make sense, I've read through it repeatedly and it just won't click; other then that, it's been a good book so far, but like others have said, it needs a second edition with quite a few things cleaned up.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent entry level book
Review: It's probably safe to assume that the majority of people who read books about basic electronics do so because they intend to build things. This book caters to such an audience. It provides theory and examples that allow you to build your own basic circuits. The concepts aren't easy, but the author helps you understand them.
Rating: 
Summary: Great book...but what the heck????
Review: Like the other reviewers I found this book a great resource. It has great practical information and diagrams and whacks straight into what you can do with the components and what they are supposed to do without boring you to death with electron theory. Now, I must say although I have a degree in electronics I am quite rusty on fine points and one thing I never did well and subsequently never used, were FETS. I have found unforgivable errors in diagrams and examples in the transistor chapter...mostly related to MOSFETS. When you deal with P and N channels and layers...YOU MUST NEVER make mistakes in a textbook...practical or not. I had to reread sections 10 times to realize that gate voltage polarities were reversed...and the worst..an n-channel depletion layer MOSFET turning on a relay when positive biased at its gate by an AND gate. Hello? An ENHANCEMENT n-channel sure..but like..what the heck??? Especially when new learners will be tackling this stuff, some find it hard enough to cram into their brains without it being explained wrong. This book needs fixed!! It is also not really designed for new learners...although I can say new people can gain a lot from it, but you really have to have some background or I could see getting lost fast on the loose use of formulae and Ohm's law (fundamental but we all had to at least learn and practice it first) SO...good book again could be THE greatest practical instruction book ever if it was cleaned up. I back up the previous reviewer who said that. ONE STAR for the glaring lack of responsibility. It really is a 4 and 1/2 star book but hopefully the bad reviews will kick start the author and McGraw into releasing the second edition.
Rating: 
Summary: An interesting book,but can it survive the errors?
Review: The preface indicates that the book is primarily for electronic neophytes who, apparently, fill the ranks of inventors & hobbyists (?). I would think that the persons who would get the most out of this work would be those with some formal traning in electronic circuit design, perhaps those about to graduate or just grtting established in discrete, commercial circuit design. Also good for the older crowd to stay current. What I see is a voluminous & varied amount of material focusing primarily on discrete circuit design & the IC's/components available for such work. There is very little math - calculus is avoided where possible. There is a lot of practical info on general circuit development. There is a good overview on digital, op amps, filters, PSs, stepper moters & microcontrollers among others. Some nuggets for the EE too. Remember how you rejoiced when they introduced Phasors during sinusoidal steady-state analysis? But after converting everything into complex numbers & solving the problem, why did you through away the imaginary part? See an elegant little explanation in Chap. 2. Earlier reviewers have spent some time on the errors. Suffice it to say that there are many preventable, inexcusable errors. Many are typos & schematic errors, but others leave you wondering. How could an author with such an obvious command of this subject matter confuse electrical power & electrical energy or enhancement-type & depletion-type FESs? Fun for the EE's - How many errors can YOU find? Other impressions: 1) If you're responsible for designing a special circuit - maybe a filter or switching PS & need some pactical info on the subject, would you not search out a book devoted to that single subject? 2) The Water Analogies - spare me, please; Rube Goldberg would turn over in his grave. 3) What about citing a few references every once in awhile? 5) How many of these schematics (for the novice) were modeled or breadboarded? And finally to McGraw-Hill: Don't you people have any technical proof readers on staff? I think YOU owe us all a recall on this book to be replaced free with an error corrected revision. The revision will be worth 4+ stars; as is 2- stars. There are similar books w/o the errors.
Rating:
Summary: Begin your corrections!
Review: This book has an excellent intuitive grasp of electrical concepts; but it kind of loses its charms when you find that many of the problems worked out have numerous glaring numerical errors, and a lot of them introduce numbers (e.g., strange voltages given when solving transistor calcs.) that makes no sense, as in you don't know where these numbers came from with respect to what the problem is trying to solve. Other than that, the book is worth the price if you ignore the sample problems, or can work through them enough to find their errors.
Rating: 
Summary: A wealth of information
Review: This book has enabled me designing simple electronic circuits and understanding more complicated ones. The book explains the use of most electrical components in a concise and (most often) easy to understand manner. I like to sit down and just browse through the broad contents of this pleasantly written and illustrated book and enjoy. But beware, I am quite sure that I found several mistakes in the electrical diagrams and even in the calculations. Furthermore, in my opinion, a book this complete should also contain some information about vacuum tubes. In spite of this I believe this is the best introduction to electronics I have run across, and I have recommended this book to my friends and colleagues.
Rating:
Summary: Super Book!
Review: This book is awsome it has lots of information in a simple form. it's great for people who don't know alot about electronics but don't know much about it.
Rating:
Summary: So that's how it works!
Review: This book is excellent if you want to build and tinker with electronics, but don't want to read huge technical manuals loaded with complex mathematics. It has really cool diagrams that makes understanding transistors, other semiconductors, and digital electronics very easy. Read it!
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