On Jun 26, 2008, at 7:56 AM, Lindy Mayfield wrote:

> it took me about 30 years to realize that the beginning books on  
> electronics I read weren't enough and that beating myself up for  
> not "getting" it was in vain.

That's really a shame, since my perception is that you can understand  
quite a lot of "practical" electronics without understanding much  
more than Ohm's law and the "beginning" description of basic  
components.  I mean, senior year of my EE program, we analyzed a 555  
timer IC at the transistor level, but I don't think I see why it  
takes much training to understand it at the "logical block" level  
presented in most data sheets...

Perhaps it's one of those "legacy educational" things; the Powers  
That Be are so intrenched in teaching EE in the old ways (calculus,  
physics, more calculus, etc) that no one has even tried to do it  
differently...  Every once in a while you find someone who is "self- 
taught" and effective without that background. but it's rare...

BillW

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