The maker movement is getting more popular, possibly fueled by the recent coronavirus crisis that left many of us searching for new indoor activities. A niche within this field is electronics, with quite a few books available that teach the basics of electronics through building your own circuits. Beginning breadboarding is yet another addition to the growing library of maker books. So, does it add value for the enthusiastic maker?

The author, Jennifer Fox, takes a practical, hands-on approach with lots of examples to work through. She patiently explains the very basics of electronics, starting with diagrams and how to read them, followed by an explanation of breadboards and how to use them. Later on, she describes essential electrical components such as resistors, potentiometers, and sensors.

Once the basics are out of the way, the book starts exploring the fascinating field of logic gates. Step by step, the reader is taken by the hand along the often challenging details behind AND, OR, XOR, and so on, and how they can be combined to actually build a simple “computer” that can add numbers or a single-digit binary adder. When confronted with these principles, many readers might be easily overwhelmed; however, the author slowly works through the material and explains the concepts step by step.

When compared to the book considered by many makers to be among the best in this field, namely Make: electronics by Charles Platt [1], the coverage of the binary adder could be reason enough to purchase this book. However, in comparison, Platt’s book does a better job of explaining the underlying electronic concepts and leaves the reader with a more thorough understanding of electrical components.

As for writing style, be aware that Fox likes to use “childish” expressions of encouragement (for example, “You can do it!!” at literally every exercise) and peppers her text with (often double) exclamation marks and smileys. It makes you wonder if the book is aimed at a preteen audience, yet according to the cover the book targets readers of all ages.

Another thing to note: the paperback version is in black and white whereas the ebook is in color. Reading monochrome diagrams where the authors refers to blue lines versus red lines to hook up the breadboard to the power source certainly adds a little spice to the exercise.

Still, if you are interested in building your own mini computer and want an in-depth understanding of logic gates and how they form the heart of most electronic systems, Beginning breadboarding in its electronic format would be a worthy addition to your library.