Simon Monk’s latest book follows the Cookbook format. It covers the electronics you might need to know in order to build or troubleshoot an Electronics Project - especially those based on the Raspberry Pi or Arduino.

The book starts with the basics: a little theory is followed by chapters on resistors, capacitors and inductors, diodes, transistors and ICs, switches and relays.

The next twelve chapters cover recipes for what the book describes as pretty much anything electronic that you might like to design. Topics include power sources, sensors, motors and displays.

The last two chapters cover construction and tools.

Simon Monk knows what he’s talking about, and he writes clearly and simply.

If you’re thinking of creating a project based on a Raspberry Pi or Arduino, or you want to understand how someone else’s project works, this is a great book to get you started.

The only topics I felt were missing were how to read a datasheet, and how to order components. These are essential skills for electronics makers, and they can be daunting for beginners. Maybe Simon will add them in a second edition!

These are minor shortcomings.

Overall, this is an excellent book, and I recommend it.