[sdiy] MK50240

[WeAreAs1 at aol.com]

In a message dated 12/13/03 10:04:35 PM, oldcrow at oldcrows.net writes:

<<   The place I first learned of the 50240 was the original Forrest Mims III 
'Engineers Notebook', which still sits on the shelf next to the Hightext 
reprint.   >>

That is a really *great* book.  I learned so much just from that one book and 
the experiments I did with circuits in the book - probably more than I got 
from the following two years of college.  It was a really great way to get my 
feet wet with electronics.  It contains almost zero theory, just a bunch of very 
useful basic building block circuits, and a handful of interesting 
music-related circuits.  I wore out two copies of it.  For me, it was enough to 
push-start me into a career in electronics (along with Craig Anderton's writings in 
GP, Keyboard, and Polyphony).  In 1980, it came at just the right time for me.  
I really loved the hand-drawn text and schematics.  It just fairly screamed 
"DIY!!!".  I'm glad they finally got around to reprinting it, even if only for 
its nostalgic value.  I wish they had used the same blue color and cover 
graphics, though.  The slick new one's just not the same, even though most of the 
text and circuits are.  Seeing that blue book cover really gets to me.  Like 
seeing the original covers for "The Cat in the Hat" or "Green Eggs and Ham", it 
just triggers something in me.  Yes, I am a dork.

Note to beginning electronics buffs:  Get that book.  It's still very 
relevant.  Read it cover to cover.  Keep it handy.  Build some circuits from the 
book.  You'll very likely get more out of it than you will from Horowitz and 
Hill's "The Art of Electronics", at least in the beginning.  Then, when you do get 
"The Art of Elctronics" (because you definitely should), it will make so much 
more sense to you.

Michael Bacich