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The art of electronics (3rd ed.)
Horowitz P., Hill W., Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, 2015. 1219 pp. Type: Book (978-0-521809-26-9)
Date Reviewed: Mar 28 2017

This is the third edition of The art of electronics. The aim of reviewing this book is not to judge whether it’s good or bad, but rather to highlight what made it so successful.

A brief reminder to the reader: the first edition was published in 1980. The first two editions were translated into eight languages. The book is widely adopted as a reference in analog and digital electronics by many universities around the world.

The book is 1192 pages long and is divided into 15 chapters. Chapters 1 through 9 cover the basics of electronics, including voltage, signals, transistors, amplifiers, filters, and power conversion. Chapters 10 through 13 cover digital electronics, including logic devices and logic interfacing. Chapter 14 is dedicated to computers, controllers, and data links. Chapter 15 discusses microcontrollers.

There are several factors that make the current publication so useful and popular among students and professionals alike. The following is a brief list:

  • History and context: When possible, the authors put in context the invention of an electronic component before detailing its function.
  • Main concepts: Each chapter gently introduces the new concept and provides corresponding mathematical formulas and thorough explanations.
  • Illustrations: Circuits and real images illustrate all chapters. They make the written material much more accessible to the learner’s mind.
  • Exercises: There is a set of exercises for the reader to test his or her knowledge of the learned material.
  • Review of the chapter: At the end of each chapter, there is a summary that highlights the main concepts covered and provides hints on how to expand this knowledge.

The book is well written and its revisions have provided even more value. The only improvement I would suggest is to have a companion laboratory manual to put in practice the learned material. It is worth mentioning that such a manual exists for the early versions of the book. After checking on Amazon, I couldn’t find an updated version.

In summary, I join the crowd to confirm that The art of electronics remains the de facto reference for anyone wishing to study electronics beginning from the basics.

More reviews about this item: Amazon, Goodreads

Reviewer:  Ghita Kouadri Review #: CR145145 (1706-0359)
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