American Electricians' Handbook Reviews

• Not a handbook

  
  By APDPUMT47ZQAQ on 2001-12-01
  I would NOT recommend this book to any electrician, engineer, or architect. It is extremely difficult to comprehend. Gaining any practical information from this book is futile. I have had the twelfth edition over ten years. I used it to study for the electricians exam. I hated it then. Since that time, I have found it to be a very poor reference book. The thirteenth edition is no better. I understand why some electrician training schools might use this book - it is very comprehensive. It would make a good reference for a classroom lesson plan, but not a direct teaching tool. If you want to learn the material in this book, get the National Electric Code Handbook (and related materials published by the NFPA) and appropriate textbooks. FYI - I am a licensed electrician and a registered professional engineer.
  
  

• An Electrician's Life-saver

  
  By A1LZH08UEZX058 on 2000-03-28
  I originally purchased this book on the recommendation of another electician. Many electrician training schools use this same book to teach their students. I found it to be easy to comprehend, and to be a wealth of information that has helped me enormously in my work, and to prepare for Electrician's exams. I would recommend this to any electrician (Apprentice, Journeyman, etc. I have used and abused mine so much, that it's time for me to purchase another copy - that's how useful a tool it is.
  
  

• A patchwork monster

  
  By on 2001-11-10
  Another motley McGraw-Hill product. First copyrighted in 1913. The author appears to have died prior to 1976, and the book has been maintained by hired help. Don't try to use this as a textbook; treat it as a reference only. You never really know whether some item is up to date or 50 or 80 years old. Examples: There is a lot of treatment of two-phase (yup, 90 degrees) power, including at 25 hertz, and of multi-kilovolt series incandescent streetlighting, plus knob and tube wiring. Also, it is stated that the highest radio frequency in use is 30 megahertz, whereas in reality we're up to 1,000 or 2,000 times that just now. This book is a curiousity; charming if you have the cash, but if you don't, maybe you should be getting something more coherent.
  
  

• A Must For Every Serious or Professional Electrician

  
  By A3MCR3DX0BX7FZ on 2000-09-28
  W A R N I N G: This book is not for the weekend repairman!!!

  This is a very intense book for the professionals or for someone who would like to further their knowledge. This truely might be the last book an electrican will ever buy. A must for your library!
  
  

• Worst hand book ever! by a Union Inside Wireman

  
  By A16WMH4Z9O40F4 on 2007-03-05
  I went through the union apprenticeship in San Francisco. I completed my apprenticeship in 2003, and decided to purchase this book to study for the CA state certification. HUGE MISTAKE!!! If all you are looking for is a study tool for the state certification test all you need is a code book. In school we never used this book, and I went through a 5 year apprenticeship, and after looking through this book I can see why. I found it almost impossible to use the index, and the table of contents wasn't much help either. I do however reccomend the National Electrical Code 2005 Handbook. It cost $25 more but it is well worth it. Neither of these books will teach you how to be an electrician so don't even bark up that tree! DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK!!! My 8 and a half years of being a wireman (including 5 years as an apprentice)and I can't make sence of this book. Don't waste your time or money again DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK!!!
  
  

• Electrician's Exam Preparation Guide: Based On The 2005 NEC (Electrician's Exam Preparation Guide)
• National Electrical Code 2005 Softcover Version (National Fire Protection Association National Electrical Code)
• Alternating Current Fundamentals
• National Electrical Code 2008 Handbook (National Fire Protection Association//National Electrical Code Handbook)
• Ugly's Electrical References 2008