I don't have any good books in mind, but I think you need to know what you're really interested in learning about hardware. Define "very, very familiar with electronics."
You might want to think about electronics on several level and topics:
- Board Level: Op Amps, Feedback Control Systems... etc.
- Chip Level IC design: Analog IC design, Bipolar/CMOS design... etc.
- Firmware: C, Assembly language...
...each of these topics are semester/year long courses on its own. I can recommend books in each topic, but have not seen a do-it-all, teach-it-all book.
as attack said, "the topic area is more broad than you'd think."
I would buy a circuit kit, like the one for 12 year olds, and you can knock out those projects pretty quickly, but they usually come with schematics and pieces for 100 projects or so. RadioShack sells them, but when you want to buy more parts, don't go there, go to Jamco or Digikey.
Learning Chip Level IC means learning how to reduce binary functions, there are many 'tricks' to this, and from my CS classes, they didn't really care much about reducing, and the EEs always did much better when it came to binary logic then the CS students. Also Figure out transistors, the circuits kit will have some transistor projects, and do a good overview, but learn the math and (some) of the physics here, it will help you understand.
After that, find some books on microcontrollers and or microcomputers. Figure out how RAM and ROM work (not necessiarly the internals) and program some.
I've heard great things about the Arudino, but I've never used it. I started off on the PIC series, and then to Motorola 8bits and Coldfire 32Bits, both of the last two, you can program in C, so no real assembly is required.
I agree with yangyang2, as far as a do it all approach, you probably aren't going to find it..
The Arudino looks neat. I will definitely keep it in mind. I have taken digital electronics while in college and do remember k-maps and so forth, so it should hopefully not be too far ahead of me. :) Thanks again!
You might want to think about electronics on several level and topics:
- Board Level: Op Amps, Feedback Control Systems... etc.
- Chip Level IC design: Analog IC design, Bipolar/CMOS design... etc.
- Firmware: C, Assembly language...
...each of these topics are semester/year long courses on its own. I can recommend books in each topic, but have not seen a do-it-all, teach-it-all book.
as attack said, "the topic area is more broad than you'd think."