I found that picking up a few books on electronics/robotics really helped
me learn.  At first I would look at a circuit and have absolutely no idea
how it worked or even what most of the components were or did.  The more I
read the more I became familiar with basic circuit design.  One book that
really helped me was "Getting Started In Electronics" from Radio
Shack.  Granted, its format seems a bit aimed towards children (12 years
old maybe) but it has a lot of important and fundamental information about
different electronic devices.  I have also bought books specific to the PIC
micros such as Easy Pic'n, Programming and Customizing Pic Micros, Pic'n Up
the Pace, and Programming Robot Controllers.  Robot books I have include
Robot Builders Bonanza, Build Your Own Robot (mainly geared towards the
Motorola 68hc11/12 micro), and Robots, Androids, and Animatronics.  I have
also spent countless hours reading anything and everything I can find on
the net.  But now, to show for all my work, I can look at a circuit and
have a good understanding of what each part of the circuit does and the
general reasoning behind it.  Just keep at it, don't get discouraged, and
read a lot :)  It doesn't matter if you understand something today because
something you read tomorrow might put it into perspective and it will all
come together.

Scott Pierce

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