Getting Started in Electronics

This book is great. It explains all the basics of electrical engineering at an easy to understand level, unlike many others. It helps you to build up to the point where you can understand books like "The Art of Electronics". It's a must read for all beginners to electronics and will set the basics straight.

This was not, in fact, the book that taught me electronics. That honor goes to Charles Platt's Make: Electronics. However, if I had discovered it in the 80s or 90s before Platt's book existed, I'm sure it would have done the job. It's less hands-on than Platt's book, and doesn't offer as much hand-holding or practical advice for beginners, but it's very accessible nonetheless. The explanations are clear, if concise, and the drawings are very elucidating. The book explains everything you need to know about the fundamentals of electricity as well as the passive components and transistors that you'll need to build basic circuits. It also covers a few of the classic linear and digital ICs, but it was written before microcontrollers became commonplace, so it doesn't even mention them. But none of this explains my attachment to this book, which is on a much more emotional level. The fact that the entire book is handwritten and hand-illustrated gives it a very personal touch. The drawings are whimsical and endearing. How can you not smile at the illustrations of electrons gleefully zipping down a wire, or at a MOSFET with lightning bolts shooting out of its head because it got zapped by static? Even if you already know everything that you could possibly learn from this book, it's still worth a read. As the title of this review suggests, it's like a comic book for electronic nerds. I'm sure if I had been given this book as a kid it would have captured my imagination and gotten me hooked. Just thumb through the book and you can tell that Forrest Mims loves teaching people about electronics and has a special talent for doing so.

This is an excellent book to learn the fundamentals to get started learning electronics. I really don't have much of a background in electronics. I got this book because I read about it in Make Magazine. Also I have been trying to complete a correspondence course in electronics. This book reviewed what I had already learned in a fraction of the number of pages that I had to read. It also introduce things that my course hasn't cover yet. Not bad for 128 pages. Think about it: many high schools don't have an electronics program. Mine didn't. It isn't that the material is unimportant or doesn't have job opportunities. The electronic field is huge. This is the book to start with if you know nothing of electronics and are doing a self study. The book is easy to understand. It wasn't until it discusses "Digital Integrated Circuits" in chapter 6 that I did not have a full understanding of the material. But I guess this is just a "start" to learning such topics. But I think it works, because it is more advanced and thus gets the reader's interest. However diode and transistor gates can become complicated. It is important to note there is not much math here except for some basic algebra. A few formulas, truth tables, and graphs of functions are present but the book uses them to show how electronics are represented and not to have the reader do many math problems. I have yet to build the circuit projects in the back of the book. That is the next step. Forrest Mims, the author, states that you have to do them to get the complete understanding of circuits. That makes sense. In summary, this is an excellent book and I give it a high recommendation. It is the fastest way to learn all about electronics that you were never taught.

The whole Arduino phenomenon has done wonders for reigniting an interest in the type of gadgetry you can purchase in the ever-shrinking storage drawers in the back of the Shack, and as you start to implement some of the "cookbook" style designs that are online, those new to the electronics / integrated cirucit world will start to have a plethora of questions, such as (1) what's an RC circuit, or (2) how does a pullup resistor work in my Arduino product, and what is its purpose? Forrest Mimms does an excellent job providing an overall introduction to electronic components that suitable for the advanced elementary school / middle school student to the neophyte-non-engineer adult. His no-nonsense drawings combine the aesthetic of comic-strip photos with the handwritten-all-caps look of engineering textual notation. This book makes understanding elementary electronics a fun journey, and if you're actually making the projects and examples he delineates in the text, you'll develop an almost intuitve grasp of the subject. I'm not saying that you'll become an expert in the subject - but as you get into more abstract / mathematical areas of electronics and circuit building, you'll feel as if you know how to swim. I purchased this book because I cannot stand fiddling with things when I don't know how they work. I can't stand just following cookbook examples from Adafruit or other Arduino cookbooks available online, dropping in C++ libraries and code and plugging wires into a little blue board to watch LED's flash - I have to know what's causing what. I have been impressed with the utility of this book because it explains the concepts behind the schematics and the code you play with on an Arduino board. Forrest Mimms has an extensive amount of knowledge of the subject matter, and unlike many other "engineering" texts, he presents his information in a way that spoon-feeds the neophyte and re-emphasizes the basics for someone with a cursory understanding of electronics and circuits. Whether you are introducing a child to your field - and getting them started in electronics - or you're delving in for the first time yourself, before you go pick up that book on advanced engineering mathematics or a schematics reading guide, grab this book. Its images will serve as a strong mental reference for a long time to come and will answer a number (but not all) of the "why's" and "how's" behind the maker projects you work your way through but don't completely understand. And do consider many of the other books out there by Mimms - I believe he has written a whole book on the 555 IC. His texts are invaluable whether a beginner in microelectronics and circuits, a student, or even an experienced hand who enjoys an entertaining refresher. His "voice" in his texts is that of an amazing layman teacher - that voice and command of the subject matter possessed by the true teachers that take byzantine concepts and systems and make them accessible to the everyman. I speak from experience, and have thoroughly enjoyed FM's books - which I am now sharing with my two elementary school-aged sons.

Forrest Mims is a genius in his simple, yet accurate way of explaining things in this beginner's guide to electronics. Although modern electronics have gone all surface-mount and integrated circuits, this book still gives you the fundamentals in understanding the basics that you need. If you're young and considering engineering or electronics, this is a must-read book! It also has many practical projects you can build with breadboards... Unfortunately there is no Radio Shack anymore to buy components, but Amazon has most of what you would need. 100% a favorite of mine. I have three copies for my 9th grade classroom.

This book is great. Amazingly as the Amazon prompt came it to review it I had the book sitting right there next to my computer. I've read it from cover to cover and reread the bits I'm really interested in. What I like most about this book is that it is written by someone who clearly knows everything there is to know about electronics and then, not only distilled it down to just the necessary facts to 'get started in electronics', but he's presented the material as if I'd written my own notes in a lecture - actually the diagrams he draws are much better than anything I could draw. So everything in the book seems to be spot on my level of understanding, and really, if you have any real interest in electronics I can't see how you could not understand the information as it is presented. Highly recommend this book to anyone who has no prior knowledge or only the most basic understanding of electronics but has the desire to learn more and simply needs the explanations to be intelligent, not for an idiot, the jargon removed and the analogies easy to relate to. Forrest hits the nail right on the head. Oh, and I bought another of his books "Engineer's Notebook" which is the subject of another review but is basically a logically next step after you've 'Started in Electronics'.

I love this book! I've learned a lot from this book than researching alone on the internet. The author has done a fantastic job describing the fine details of how electronics work for beginners. ------------------------------------- DISLIKES -there's nothing i dislike about this book. LIKES -this book gets to a great start off explaining the basics of electronics with simple and understandable definitions. -pictures in every page to illustrate definitions of electronic parts and how electricity flows through all parts and pieces. -the layout of the book. The author writes this book as if he were taking notes in class and passes it on to another classmate. ***because of the layout of the book, I can approach this book with a mindset of understanding and easy to learn. Unlike other books that might intimidate readers that it's, "too hard to understand" -easy to read. You start learning as soon as you open the book! -decent size book and not too much pages (128) -any age can read and understand this book -affordable/reasonable price. ------------------------------------- and because of that I rate 5 stars! highly recommended for all ages and for anyone who decides to get started in this field. any questions simply reply below.

Earning a certificate in electronics and asked my professor for some holiday study material as I knew enough to pass--but really 'fractured' knowledge. So this 'text' is the size of regular work book with general summaries about each topic like --what is an electron--what is a transistor and so on. It has some examples of 'experiments' but I have not done any due to laziness to order online and radioshack is no longer brick and mortar. Also note if you are keen on 'experiments' they are very rudimentary like using a 9 Volt battery, wires, steel or iron nails kind. This is suited for an introductory to electricity/electronics. There's also no glossary and no list of full experments material, you just have to read through and buy when you 'bump into the section'. (frustrating). Again, this is great for me to kind of know what direction I need to research on like "transistors" and other topics. It's a thin book. Don't buy this if you're looking for some kind of advance or a list of endless projects.