Want to learn the fundamentals of electronics in a fun, hands-on way? With Make: Electronics , you'll start working on real projects as soon as you crack open the book. Explore all of the key components and essential principles through a series of fascinating experiments. You'll build the circuits first, then learn the theory behind them!

Build working devices, from simple to complex You'll start with the basics and then move on to more complicated projects. Go from switching circuits to integrated circuits, and from simple alarms to programmable microcontrollers. Step-by-step instructions and more than 500 full-color photographs and illustrations will help you use -- and understand -- electronics concepts and techniques.

• Discover by breaking things: experiment with components and learn from failure

• Set up a tricked-out project space: make a work area at home, equipped with the tools and parts you'll need

• Learn about key electronic components and their functions within a circuit

• Create an intrusion alarm, holiday lights, wearable electronic jewelry, audio processors, a reflex tester, and a combination lock

• Build an autonomous robot cart that can sense its environment and avoid obstacles

• Get clear, easy-to-understand explanations of what you're doing and why

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 8 Ratings

Excellent primer for the new or returning electronics enthusiast - 2010-01-26
Reviewer Rating:
This is the electroncs primer I always wanted but could never find. Forget those 150-in-1 kits, with their hard wired components. Charles Platt starts off by letting us burn things out and mess things up... and it's okay! All the worry that I might burn out something is gone. Platt shows us that you ARE going to burn stuff out - and learn by the experience.

Theorey, Fundamental, Essentials and Background are all broken out of an easy to understand narative describing 36 experiments that build upon each other. Circuit layout, schematic diagrams and close-ups of components and assemblies are all presented in beautiful color. Sources for parts are included.

Good electronics book for a beginner. - 2010-01-24
Reviewer Rating:
As a beginner I think this book is just wonderful. I have tried to find something like this for the past couple of years and have looked at several but they just didn't seem to do the trick for me. I've just started using the book so I can't rate it from cover to cover (hence the four stars) but from what I have worked with so far this is going to be a lot of fun. I like the fact that it is a hands on book with lot of try it yourself exercises and not just a lot of reading only. And the author makes the subject interesting and easy to understand as well as entertaining.

Finally, the electronics book I've been waiting for - 2010-01-20
Reviewer Rating:
I've bought a couple other books on electronics recently (the Dummies guide, Electronics Self-Teaching Guide) but they're all very academic and kind of boring. This book is beautiful full color and tons of real examples that the author has you wire up and play with. The first couple experiments actually encourage you to break stuff-overheat a battery and burn out an LED! Every few pages you'll get a mini history lesson about someone and their discovery that lead to our current understanding of electronics, but they're easily skippable if you just want the practical stuff. Get ready to make a couple of trips to Radio Shack!

Excellent basic electronics book - 2010-01-19
Reviewer Rating:
This is the 3rd or 4th book on basic electronics aimed at hobbyists/beginners that I've read and have liked the most. All the books I've read have flaws usually falling into 3 categories: 1) too math heavy, 2) too complicated, 3) failing to explain concepts "every should already know". The worst books fail in all 3 categories (ex: Radio Shack's non-Forrest Mims books).

The MAKE Electronics book is ambitious, but not overly so. I follows a hands-on approach to electronics instruction, with minimal math, that promotes an intuitive understanding of what is occurring in a circuit. Charles Platt even goes so far to explain how to shop for electronics components, easing the shock that many beginners feel when confronted by 3-inch-thick Mouser catalogs, or DigiKey's terrible "website".

My recommendation to anyone wanting to learn basic electronics is to read this book and Forrest M. Mims III's "Getting Started in Electronics".

Beginners / Hobbyist like me NEED this book! - 2010-01-12
Reviewer Rating:
If you're thinking about dabbling with electronics, maybe have had an interest in the past, but could never quite find the right resource to get started--congratulations, you've just found it.

I'm definitely just a hobbyist, and some things were somewhat cloudy in my mind... just couldn't quite grasp some concepts. This book cleared up EVERYTHING and made it all delightfully easy to comprehend and put to good use.

Learning by discovery is absolutely a fantastic way to learn, especially using such a direct hands-on approach like this book does. Tools are pretty inexpensive (avoid Radioshack if you can, otherwise that statement isn't quite so valid)..... parts are cheap (see prior statement)... and the book itself is well worth it.

I highly recommend you buy the book if you're a beginner/hobbyist. It's fantastic. If you're more experienced and consider yourself more than a beginner, I probably would avoid it unless you just want to brush up on it again.. or buy a copy for a friend that may be pestering you to teach him/her about electronics :).

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