Presents an illustrated guided tour through basic electronics. This book presents the difference between the analog and digital worlds. It explains what logic gates are and how to make them from transistors.

From reviews of the first edition: "If you want to be reminded of the joy of electronics, take a look at Clive (Max) Maxfield's book Bebop to the Boolean Boogie." - "Computer Design". "Lives up to its title as a useful and entertaining technical guide...well-suited for students, technical writers, technicians, and sales and marketing people." - "Electronic Design". "Writing a book like this one takes audacity! ...Maxfield writes lucidly on a variety of complex topics without 'writing down' to his audience." - "EDN". "A highly readable, well-illustrated guided tour through basic electronics." - "Science Books & Films". "Extremely readable and easy to understand, you'll wonder how people learned about this stuff before this book came along." - "New Book Bulletin", Computer Literacy Bookshops. This book presents the difference between the analog and digital worlds. It explains what logic gates are and how to make them from transistors.

Section 1: Fundamental Concepts
Chapter 1: Analog versus Digital
Chapter 2: Atoms, Molecules, and Crystals
Chapter 3: Conductors and Insulators
Voltage, Current, Resistance, Capacitance, and Inductance
Chapter 4: Semiconductors: Diode and Transistors
Chapter 5: Primitive Logic Functions
Chapter 6: Using Transistors to Build Primitive Logic Functions
Chapter 7: Alternative Numbering Systems
Chapter 8: Binary Arithmetic
Chapter 9: Boolean Algebra
Chapter 10: Karnaugh Maps
Chapter 11: Using Primitive Logic Functions to Build More Complex Functions
Chapter 12: State Diagrams, State Tables, State Machines
Chapter 13: Analog-to-Digital and Digital-to-Analog
Chapter 14: Integrated Circuits (ICs)
Chapter 15: Memory ICs
Chapter 16: Programmable ICs
Chapter 17: Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs)
Chapter 18: Circuit Boards (PWBs and DWBs)
Chapter 19: Hybrids
Chapter 20: Multichip Modules (MCMs)
Chapter 21: Alternative and Future Technologies
Appendix A: Assertion-Level Logic
Appendix B: Positive Logic versus Negative Logic
Appendix C: Reed-Muller Logic
Appendix D: Gray Codes
Appendix E: A Reed-Muller Extraction Utility
Appendix F: Linear Feedback Shift Registers (LFSRs)
Appendix G: Pass-Transistor Logic
Appendix H: No-Holds-Barred Seafood Gumbo