Modern Electronics

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8 A well-organized and clearly written text provides basic information on electrical phenomena and on the construction and function of electronic devices used in items such as computers and televisions. There is some discussion of how these devices have evolved to provide cheaper and better consumer goods, and what may be expected in the future of electronics. Diagrams help clarify concepts, but depend on the text for full understanding. Black-and-white photographs are of uneven quality; some neither provide information nor increase interest. New terms are printed in bold and defined in the text; these definitions are repeated in the glossary. The index contains errors. Chapters end with projects and activities, some requiring fairly sophisticated and inaccessible materials. Most of the projects are erroneously labeled experiments. Many students for whom the book is intended will have had exposure to the scientific method; calling these activities ``experiments'' may confuse their understanding of that all-important procedure. While this book is suitable as supplementary material, the Encyclopedia of Computers and Electronics (Rand McNally, 1983) provides broader and more detailed information in a more attractive format. Allen Meyer, Vernon Area Public Library District, Prairie View, Ill.