
Books · electronics book
Practical Electronics for Inventors by Scherz and Monk
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.
Summarized from 9 comments.
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.
- recommend
- 4
- criticize
- 2
- months recommended
- 4 of 13
What people warn about
Mixes basic and advanced theory · 1
I personally found it a bit overwhelming with the mixture of really basic practical stuff combined with more advanced circuit theory
Jan 2026 · commentLess practical than the title · 1
not really as practical as the title implies
Sep 2026 · comment
What hackers pick instead
- 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
- 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
Every quote
The 8 most detailed of 9 comments. Each links to the original.
I personally found it a bit overwhelming with the mixture of really basic practical stuff combined with more advanced circuit theory
Mixed · Jan 2026 · in “Project Patchouli: Open-source electromagnetic drawing tablet hardware”
not really as practical as the title implies
Mixed · Sep 2026 · in “Ask HN: What are you working on? (September 2026)”
PEFI/PE4I as a technical reference when you need details about a specific topic
Recommends · Sep 2026 · in “The Secret Life of Circuits”
the authors explains the underlying physics for each component
Recommends · Sep 2026 · in “The Secret Life of Circuits”
check out "Practical Electronics for Inventors"
Recommends · Dec 2025 · in “Prepare for That Stupid World”
has a whole chapter dedicated to sensors
Recommends · Sep 2026 · in “The Secret Life of Circuits”
It looks considerably better than Practical Electronics for Inventors
Criticizes · Jul 2026 · in “Cursed circuits #6: reverse avalanche oscillator”
found it to be way over my head
Criticizes · Sep 2026 · in “The Secret Life of Circuits”
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