Getting Began in Electronics

Good stuff
Fun, informative and well written. Also, spiral bound which is very nice on your lab bench.

A Wonderful Book to Have When Starting with Arduino
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.

Still the best reference, 40 years later!
When I was a kid, I bought this book at my local Radio Shack. I used it when I went to college to earn my Electrical Engineering degree. I buy copies for people that are interested in electronics to this day. I have collected almost everything Forrest M. Mims III has written. If you are interested in learning about electronics, this is the book to start with.

This is a classic publication, I have found it very useful.

Great book for beginners