REVIEW: Open Circuits: The Inner Beauty of Electronic Components (nonfiction book) by Eric Schlaepfer and Windell H. Oskay

Open Circuits: The Inner Beauty of Electronic Components is photography-heavy nonfiction. I bought my copy new.

Review:

This ended up on my radar while I was looking for nonfiction with a good combination of visuals and info. I don't actually know much about electronic components, so I was somewhat reluctant to take the plunge and get this, but then I spotted it on sale and snatched it up, and I'm glad I did.

This lovely book is organized into six sections: passive components (resistors, capacitors, fuses, etc.), semiconductors (transistors, LED, diodes, etc.), electromechanics (various switches, motors, buzzers, etc.), cables and connectors, retro tech (cathode ray tubes, vacuum tubes, neon lamps, incandescent light bulbs, etc.), and composite devices (circuits boards, microSD cards, LED displays, etc.). The book wraps up with a "making of" section that describes how the various electronic components were prepared and photographed, plus a bit about macro photography.

No Starch Press's product page has some great resources showing you what to expect from the text, photography, and overall look of the book, which was reassuring to someone like me, who's purchased stuff specifically for the illustrations before, only to find that the pages were too small to properly show off the art and/or that the printing wasn't good quality. That wasn't the case here - this book does a fantastic job of showcasing the various electronic components, with many of the photographs taking up full or half pages. Each component gets at least two pages for photographs, occasional diagrams (to highlight things the photographs don't show well), and explanatory text that provides enough context to help even a newbie like me understand what I'm looking at.

Although everything was beautiful and more interesting than I expected, my favorite chapter was probably the electromechanics one. My inner child appreciated the peek inside various switches, learning how they work, and why they feel so satisfying to flip. Still, every chapter had something I enjoyed, and I definitely have a new appreciation for my smartphone.

Overall, highly recommended if anything about this book piques your interest even the slightest bit.