The Secret Life of Circuits

Many of you follow this blog because of the regular features about electronic circuit design. Today, I’m happy to announce that I’ve been working with No Starch Press on The Secret Life of Circuits:

I think it’s an exceptional book. It’s the reference I wish I had earlier in my life: an accessible, in-depth exploration of how circuits really work, from the motion of electrons to the dark art of embedded system programming.

There are three things that set it apart. First, where others rattle off cryptic formulas, The Secret Life of Circuits gives you elegant explanations of where the formulas actually come from. Second, where others say what a circuit ought to do, this book comes with nearly 300 full-color illustrations and plots to show you what happens in real life. And finally, anyone can take you on a stroll down the memory lane — outmoded designs, obsolete components — but this book focuses on modern problem-solving instead of circuit archeology.

If you want a better sense of what’s inside, try the following links:

Free sample chapter

Detailed table of contents

As of September 2026, full-color hardcover copies of The Secret Life of Circuits are shipping from the publisher:

Buy now at No Starch

You can also preorder from Amazon or Barnes & Noble; these orders should ship mid-October. Overseas, the book is available from amazon.de, amazon.fr, amazon.pl, amazon.co.uk, and a number of other major retailers around the globe.