Book excerpt: Offers a complete grounding in the principles and techniques of modern electronics. Designed to provide even beginning students with the knowledge and skills necessary for building useful and interesting circuits either in a laboratory situation or on their own. Concentrates on techniques and devices currently used in modern equipment and special attention is paid to the basic ideas and techniques used with important types of circuits. A substantial portion of the book is devoted to explaining the vocabulary and information presented in data sheets for these circuits. By instructing students in these techniques and familiarizing them with the ins-and-outs of electronic literature, it provides a sound introduction to the field and a means of keeping up with its extremely rapid changes.