The best electronics books, according to hackers
12 electronics books recommended in Hacker News comments over the past year, ranked by how many separate people recommend each one.
- Most recommendedThe Secret Life of Circuits by Michał Zalewski26 people recommend it
- Least regretThe Art of Electronics by Horowitz and Hill11 recommend, 3 criticize
- Free and lovedPySDR: A Guide to SDR and DSP Using Python by Marc Lichtman8 people recommend it
All electronics books
- The Secret Life of Circuits by Michał ZalewskiReaders recommend it as a friendly, conversational introduction to electronics and circuit intuition, though critics say its cover and title miss the target audience.26recommend
- The Art of Electronics by Horowitz and HillRecommended for teaching how to think about circuits, with beginners and hobbyists among readers; the common caveat is that it is aimed at university-educated engineers.11recommend
- PySDR: A Guide to SDR and DSP Using Python by Marc LichtmanPeople recommend it as a practical, engineering-oriented introduction to SDR and DSP, with a good complexity gradient for refreshing basics. Critics say its specifics are hand-wavy.8recommend
- Getting Started in Electronics by Forrest MimsRecommended as an approachable first introduction to electronics, especially by hobbyists who grew up with Forrest Mims's books. Critics say the example schematics are hard to follow.5recommend
- Practical Electronics for Inventors by Scherz and MonkRecommended as a reference that explains the physics behind each component. Common caveat: it mixes basic practical material with advanced theory, and some find it overwhelming.4recommend
- Forrest Mims electronics booksPeople credit these electronics books with teaching schematic reading and circuit basics; the main caveat is they lean toward recipes over understanding.4recommend
- Making Embedded Systems by Elecia WhiteRecommended as a practical introduction to embedded systems, covering everyday work such as reading a datasheet.4recommend
- Electronics for Kids by Charles PlattRecommended as an introduction to electronics; one reader's father gave it to them at age 10. Critics say the age recommendations and intended audience are wrong.4recommend
- Electronic Principles by Albert MalvinoThree people name it as a go-to electronics book, usually alongside Floyd's titles. No criticism appeared in the quotes.3recommend
- Digital Signal Processing in Modern Communication Systems by Andreas SchwarzingerRecommended for its coverage of how modems in communication systems are actually implemented in practice, and people call it a masterpiece.3recommend
- MIT Radiation Laboratory SeriesPeople recommend it as an excellent set of electronics engineering books from the MIT Radiation Lab era, and the best resource for such work.3recommend
- Getting Started with FPGAsReaders new to FPGAs have used it as a starting point for learning the technology, and commenters recommend it to others with the same interest.2recommend