# Practical Electronics for Inventors by Scherz and Monk

4 Hacker News commenters recommended Practical Electronics for Inventors by Scherz and Monk and 2 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 4 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Recommended 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.

## What people warn about

- Mixes basic and advanced theory (1 comments): "I personally found it a bit overwhelming with the mixture of really basic practical stuff combined with more advanced circuit theory" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46539743))
- Less practical than the title (1 comments): "not really as practical as the title implies" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49693629))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [The Secret Life of Circuits by Michał Zalewski](https://hackerapproved.com/p/secret-life-of-circuits.md): 26 recommend
- [The Art of Electronics by Horowitz and Hill](https://hackerapproved.com/p/art-of-electronics.md): 11 recommend
- [PySDR: A Guide to SDR and DSP Using Python by Marc Lichtman](https://hackerapproved.com/p/pysdr-a-guide-to-sdr-and-dsp-using-python.md): 8 recommend
- [Getting Started in Electronics by Forrest Mims](https://hackerapproved.com/p/getting-started-in-electronics.md): 5 recommend
- [Forrest Mims electronics books](https://hackerapproved.com/p/forrest-mims-electronics-books.md): 4 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0071771336?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9780071771337) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Practical Electronics for Inventors by Scherz and Monk", https://hackerapproved.com/p/practical-electronics-for-inventors/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).