PC & Electronics: Connecting Your PC to the Outside World (Productivity Series) - Softcover

A couple of Zoller's projects are straight out of Mr. Wizard's Pointless Science Projects--no one needs a special electronic device for testing light bulbs when a lamp will do the job admirably. Many of the circuits--those having to do with model railroads, for example--are of practical use only to certain people. But this book is for electronic hobbyists, people who get a kick out of soldering components together to make functional devices. The programs that interact with the hardware appear on the companion CD-ROM, where you'll find the Visual Basic source code, though it's not discussed in the text.

Don't worry if you're new to homemade electronics. Zoller explains basic techniques, including soldering, board making, and component identification, in some detail. --David Wall