http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/art-of-electronics-paul-horowitz/1100491782?ean=9780521370950
There appears to be a couple of versions of the 2nd edition of this book. I noticed US and International editions and a Hardcover or Paperback versions.
Are there any contents differences between the versions?
[editor's note: The third edition of this title is now available]
International editions are substantially cheaper, in both meanings of the term. They are printed on lower-quality paper, with smaller print, and black-and-write ink. (But AoE has no color sections anyway.)
Hardcover and paperback versions refers to the binding. I don't think there are any differences in content.
Before buying the book, take note that a 3rd edition will be published Real Soon Now: http://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/the-art-of-electronics-3rd-edition-finished-writing-and-copy-editing/
[Editor's note: The third edition is now available]
Since this is one of the first results coming up on Google while searching for the book, I believe it might be useful for the casual Internet zapper to know that the third edition is out now (April 2015) in Europe and will be soon out in the US. The book is some 250 pages bigger than the previous edition and a sample chapter (9: Voltage regulation and power conversion) along with the detailed table of contents is available online (you can have it emailed from Cambridge University Press, or find a copy in someone's Dropbox account - hey, it's the sample chapter, not the book!).
The above chapter has massively changed from the previous edition.
In the third edition, the chapters are now
1. Foundations
2. Bipolar transistors
3. Field effect transistors
4. Operational amplifiers
5. Precision circuits
6. Filters
7. Oscillators and timers
8. Low noise techniques and transimpedance
9. Power regulation
10. Digital electronics
11. Programmable logic devices
12. Logical interfacing
13. Digital meets analog
14. Computers, controllers, and data links
15. Microcontrollers
Looking at the detailed ToC it appears some chapters have been split (Filters and Oscillators, for example) while others have been rehashed. Some others appears to have been dropped. In an email by W. Hill shared online, it appears that some five further chapters are still in preparation as additional 'modules' (perhaps only in electronic form? It's not clear to me)
All in all, it appears the third edition is a brand new book, with the 'basic chapters' still the same, but most 'application chapters' profoundly revised in content and depth.
So, if you - Internet zapper - stumbled upon this page by chance, my advice to you is "go for the third edition". I did.
And I have the second edition sitting on my shelf.
Some subsection like the subsection 15.08 "Biological and chemical voltage probles" was removed. I check several times and didn't find it in new edition.
There is no difference in the content that I know of. I have several paperbacks of the 2nd edition floating around my lab. To me paperback is better because of slightly smaller size. It's easier to carry it around.
My advice is to buy the 2nd edition now. It's still 95% good, as the main point of the book is to teach you the right design principles, and these don't get obsolete. I guess this is the reason for the lack of rush with an updated edition.
