Just getting started with electronics, any recommended books or websites?

Just starting out in electronics, are there any recommended books or websites? Hope to start from basic circuits with practical projects. There are too many online tutorials, don’t know which ones are reliable, seeking recommendations from experienced people!

Book and Website Recommendations for Electronics Beginners

The following content covers recommendations for books and websites for electronics beginners, starting from basic circuits and including practical projects. All materials are selected from resources that have been long recognized by electronics enthusiasts.


:books: Beginner Books

  1. “Electronics Demystified” (Turing Electronics and Electrical Engineering Series)

    • Author: Louis E. Frenzel, written in accessible language, each chapter includes practical projects, systematically covering analog circuits, digital circuits, and common components.
  2. “Fundamentals of Electronic Technology (Analog Section)” & “Fundamentals of Electronic Technology (Digital Section)” (Kang Huaguang)

    • Classic domestic textbook with solid theory, complete with experimental projects, suitable for building a comprehensive electronics knowledge system.
  3. “Electric Circuits” (Qiu Guanyuan)

    • Authoritative textbook for circuit analysis, covering basic content including resistors, energy storage elements, and sinusoidal steady-state analysis, suitable for building a strong theoretical foundation in circuit theory.
  4. “Electronic Circuits for the Evil Genius”

    • Original English version, containing 57 lessons and projects, helping understand diodes, transistors, and digital logic through interesting experiments.
  5. “Understanding Electronics: A Beginner’s Guide with Projects”

    • Starting from charge, voltage, and current, accompanied by actual construction projects, suitable for readers with zero foundation.

:globe_with_meridians: Learning Websites and Platforms

  1. Adafruit Learning System (learn.adafruit.com)

    • Provides extensive Arduino and Raspberry Pi-based tutorials with images and videos, with detailed project steps, perfect for beginners to get hands-on experience.
  2. SparkFun Tutorials

    • Focuses on electronics fabrication and PCB design, offering step-by-step guidance from basic circuits to complex systems, with easily sourced components.
  3. Instructables – Electronics Section

    • Massive collection of user-shared DIY projects, each containing material lists, circuit diagrams, and construction photos, covering everything from simple LEDs to IoT devices.
  4. All About Circuits

    • Provides circuit theory tutorials from basic to advanced levels, complete with online simulators for verifying circuit designs before physical implementation.
  5. Electronics Enthusiast Network

    • Active domestic electronics community with numerous video-based DIY project tutorials, suitable for Chinese users to quickly get started.

:wrench: Practical Suggestions

  • Tool Preparation: Start by purchasing a multimeter, breadboard, soldering iron, and basic component kit (resistors, capacitors, LEDs, transistors, etc.).

  • Starter Projects: Begin with simple circuits like LED blinking, transistor switch circuits, and 7805 regulated power supplies, then gradually attempt comprehensive projects like audio amplifiers and small remote controls.

  • Simulation Assistance: Use LTspice or Circuit Lab simulation software to verify circuits beforehand, reducing the failure rate of physical construction.


The above resources balance theory and practical application, helping you systematically build an electronics foundation and improve your hands-on skills through projects. If you have specific interests (such as IoT, audio circuits, etc.), you can further search for specialized materials. Good luck with your studies!

Wu Chuanbin’s blog has a lot of good books… EEVBLOG has plenty of educational videos… TI and ADI also have quite a few courses (on their official websites, Bilibili, or WeChat Mini Programs). Other than that, 21IC, Elecfans, and Breadboard Forum are board-level, while EETOP is chip-level.

Don’t start by slogging through a thick textbook. First, get the essentials: a multimeter, a breadboard, a soldering iron, and a starter pack of resistors, capacitors, LEDs, and transistors. Start with minimal setups like a blinking LED, a transistor switch, and a 7805 regulated power supply.

For books, one copy of Kang Huaguang’s Fundamentals of Electronic Technology is enough for the basics. If you want something project-oriented, browse titles like Electronics Projects or similar. For websites, All About Circuits is my top recommendation—it pairs theory with online simulations and is far more reliable than the random tutorials scattered around Bilibili. Use LTspice for simulation: get the circuit working on your computer before soldering it, and you’ll save yourself a year of detours.

Bro I was exactly here two years ago :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes: Too much info online = analysis paralysis.

Just do this:

  • Grab a cheap component kit + breadboard + soldering iron (few dollars).
  • Book: Make: Electronics — super beginner friendly, learn by doing.
  • Free sites: All About Circuits + SparkFun tutorials (very clear step-by-step).
  • YouTube: EEVblog, GreatScott — watch during lunch.
  • Always run the circuit in LTspice first, saves so many burnt LEDs lol.

Golden rule: if a tutorial has full schematic + parts list + real photo, it’s good. If it’s only theory talking, skip. Just start building — everything else clicks later.

Don’t dive straight into thick theory books at the start—you’ll easily get discouraged. Buy a basic component kit for a few dozen yuan; it’ll have things like resistors, capacitors, LEDs, and transistors.

For books, I recommend Electronic Production Basics, or just search “electronics basics tutorial” on Bilibili.

My suggestion is: start by lighting up an LED, then build a blinking circuit with a transistor, and finally put together a simple power supply. Look things up only when you run into problems. As for websites, the Electronic发烧友 Forum has plenty of pitfalls that others have already encountered. Practice makes perfect—start soldering first!