Make Electronics

What Next? 235

Reference Sources

The Encyclopedia of Electronic Circuits, by Rudolf F. Graf (Tab Books, 1985)
A totally miscellaneous collection of schematics, with minimal explana-
tions. This is a useful book to have around if you have an idea and want
to see how someone else approached the problem. Examples are often
more valuable than general explanations, and this book is a massive com-
pendium of examples. Many additional volumes in the series have been
published, but start with this one, and you may find it has everything you
need.

The Circuit Designer’s Companion, by Tim Williams (Newnes, Second Edition,
2005)
Much useful information about making things work in practical applica-
tions, but the style is dry and fairly technical. May be useful if you’re inter-
ested in moving your electronics projects into the real world.

The Art of Electronics, by Paul Horowitz and Winfield Hill (Cambridge University
Press, Second Edition, 1989)
The fact that this book has been through 20 printings tells you two things:
(1) Many people regard it as a fundamental resource; (2) Secondhand cop-
ies should be widely available, which is an important consideration, as the
list price is over $100. It’s written by two academics, and has a more tech-
nical approach than Practical Electronics for Inventors, but I find it useful
when I’m looking for backup information.

Getting Started in Electronics, by Forrest M. Mims III (Master Publishing, Fourth
Edition, 2007)
Although the original dates back to 1983, this is still a fun book to have. I
think I have covered many of its topics here, but you may benefit by read-
ing explanations and advice from a completely different source, and it
goes a little farther than I have into some electrical theory, on an easy-to-
understand basis, with cute drawings. Be warned that it’s a brief book with
eclectic coverage. Don’t expect it to have all the answers.

Figure 5-9. These books from MAKE provide
guidance if you want to go beyond basic micro-
controllers into the more exotic realms of the
Arduino chip.

Figure 5-10. A sun-damaged copy of the Don Lancaster’s

classic TTL Cookbook, a 2,000-page catalog from the

Mouser Electronics supply company, and two com-

prehensive reference books that can provide years of

additional guidance in all areas of electronics.