Should Have Been a Part of His Engineer's Notebook
It is unfortunate the info and backround presented in this book is missing from his 'Engineer's Notebook'. His books seem to always overlap some of the same circuits. Sometimes I feel the publisher has him thin out info to sell more titles. His 'Circuit Scrapbook' should have remained his scrapbook. It has typos, incomplete info and contradicts his other statements using the same IC's and circuits. As a result, some circuits do not work as described or not at all. I've purchased about all his books dating from 1980 so I feel I have a good perception of his work. Sometimes I feel I have paid twice for the same info/circuits because of this duplication. This book is a good one but should have been included in his 'Engineer's Notebook'
Makes you remember why you wanted to be an engineer
I simply love this little book. Reading it has made me remember why I wanted to become an engineer in the first place - to build circuits that do cool and interesting tasks. You just don't see books like this anymore. Since the standardization of computing hardware, most engineering books are written at a very high level and do not have anything to say on circuitry that is readable by someone without a master's degree. That's where this book comes in. In less than 130 pages and for only $13 this book contains easy-to-read instructions on the construction of dozens of interesting yet simple circuits. The author even manages to make the 555-timer device, which is perhaps the simplest of all IC's, the centerpiece of dozens of interesting circuits. Each circuit requires only a page or two of information which includes complete schematic instructions and some notes on what the circuit does and why it is useful. Circuit assembly tips and pin-outs of IC's are included. I think what I liked best about this book was its section on optoelectronics. In simple language the author describes lenses and optical fibers, and then goes on to describe simple circuits that use the power of light to perform practical tasks. Since it is presented in "engineer's notebook" format, there is not much in the way of theory presented in this book. It is really good for students who are maybe thinking about a career path in engineering and would like to get a taste of what circuit design is about. However, even if you are a practicing engineer, I think that you will find the circuits in this little book both useful and entertaining. I highly recommend it. |
