BOOK REVIEWS
Engineering Circuit Analysis, second edition-William H. Hayt
and Jack E. Kemmerly (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1971, 640
pp., $18.50, solutions manual and answer book). Reviewed by
J. W. Nilsson.
Before commenting on the textbook itself it is appropriate
to give a brief description of the academic background the
student has at the time he starts to use this book. Here at
Iowa State University the student begins to study circuit
analysis the first quarter of his sophomore year. He is entering
his fourth quarter of calculus and his third quarter of intro-
ductory physics. Thus, the student has had a good exposure
to elementary calculus, basic mechanics, and basic electricity
and magnetism when he begins his first course in circuits.
At the same time the students background is pertinent to
our appraisel of this introductory textbook it is also important
to indicate how we integrate the text material into our own
curriculum because this will also color our reaction to the
book. During the sophomore year we introduce the student
to: 1 ) circuit analysis, 2) field theory, 3) electronic circuits,
and 4) instrumentation and experiment design. We use the
Hayt and Kemmerly book during the first two quarters of the
sophomore year, covering the first 15 chapters plus some sup-
plemental material which we will explain later. During the
third quarter of the sophomore year we start the students in
both an electronics and fields sequence. During this third
quarter we drop out of the basic circuits sequence for one
quarter. During the first quarter of the junior year we resume
our study in Hayt and Kemmerly and complete the book along
with some additional material. Thus, by the time we reach the
later portion of the book the student has completed a course
in differential equations and is in his second quarter of an
applied mathematics sequence which contains the basic intro-
duction to the Laplace transform. At the same time the
student is completing his study of Hayt and Kemmerly he is
continuing his work in the introductory fields and electronics
sequences.
Knowing the academic preparation of the students along
with how the general topic of introductory circuit analysis is
integrated into our overall program should help the reader
evaluate our review of this textbook in terms of his own
program.
The overall reaction of the staff who have taught from the
text and from the students who have studied from the text is
very favorable. A more detailed assessment of student reac-
tion is given at the end of the review. Fourteen different staff
members have taught from the text at Iowa State and their
general reaction is: the text is well organized; the selection of
topics for an introductory circuits course is appropriate and
well balanced; the transition between chapters is coherent; the
drill problems are helpful to the student; and the problems at
the end of each chapter are excellent.
We feel the introduction to the general problem of circuit
analysis is well done. We particularily like the early introduc-
tion of controlled sources as a basic circuit element. The in-
troduction to transient analysis is excellent. Our students have
not yet had a course in differential equations at the time they
study from this text so we appreciate the authors' relying
more on elementary calculus to introduce transient response.
After completing Chapter 7 we supplement the text material
with some class notes on operational amplifier circuits. At this
point we simply give the student the linear incremental model
of the Op-Amp and then illustrate some of the exciting things
that can be done with this configuration. Since the text intro-
duces controlled sources as a basic circuit element the students
are able to analyze the linear Op-Amps circuits with the tools
already introduced in the text. The use of Op-Amps to solve
121
differential equations reinforces the transient analysis we have
just completed in the text.
The introduction to phasor concepts is quite standard. The
problems at the end of the chapters that deal with the phasor
method are more than adequate to illustrate the salient charac-
teristics of this approach to finding the steady-state sinusoidal
response. The chapter on balanced three-phase circuits intro-
duces the basic ideas needed to solve these very practical cir-
cuits. We think the introduction can be enhanced by introduc-
ing the A-Y impedance transformation at this point. The
authors' chose to introduce this transformation in a problem
at the end of the chapter dealing with two-port analysis. How-
ever, the A-Y conversion is so useful in three-phase circuit
analysis we feel it should be introduced in this chapter.
Chapter 13 on complex frequency is the most difficult
chapter from the students point of view. We are currently
experimenting with the omission of Chapter 13 and then dis-
cussing the concept of complex frequency after we have intro-
duced the Laplace transform.
We have found some of the problems at the end of the
chapter on the Fourier transform (Chapter 18) to be beyond
the coverage of the text material. In particular a more detailed
discussion of partial fraction expansions is needed before the
student can correctly interpret inverse Fourier transforms.
In summarizing the feelings of the staff at Iowa State who
have used the text I would say they feel that the book does
what it purports to do, namely, to introduce circuit analysis at
the sophomore level. Furthermore, the consensus is that is
does it very well.
In order to assess student reaction to the text we asked 70
students who had completed the circuits sequence to com-
plete the form appended to this review. Of the 70 students
who were asked to respond, 56 chose to do so. Their overall
reaction can be summarized as follows. On the five attributes
the students gave the authors the following grades based on
the traditional four-point system.
Attribute Number Grade
1 3.16
2 2.79
3 2.89
4 3.04
5 3.11
The responses to questions 6-9 were
Question Number Yes No Not Answered
6 39 16 1
7 50 4 2
8 55 1 -
9 41 15 -
We think the authors should find this student reaction grati-
fying. In our opinion the student response is favorable and the
fact that 55 of those responding have decided to keep the text
indicates a very positive attitude on the part of the students
who have used it.
APPENDIX
Assume you are grading the textbook on the classical ABCDF
grading system. [A = Excellent, B = Good, C = Satisfactory,
122 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON EDUCATION, MAY 1977

D = Poor, F = Unsatisfactory] How would you grade the 5. The problems at the end of the chapter bring out the
following attributes of the text? Please circle the grade you important analytical skills that are presented in the text
would give the authors on each characteristic. material.
1. The subject matter within each chapter is organized in a A B C D F
logical fashion and the chapters are arranged in a logical
sequence. Please answer the following questions YES or NO. Please circle
your response.
A B C D F
6. Would you recommend this book to a friend who wished
2. Each chapter is introduced and summarized so that the to undertake a self-study course in circuit analysis?
student knows why the material is important and how it
relates to the material already studied. YES NO

A B C D F 7. Would you recommend the continued use of this book at

Iowa State University?
3. The writing style is easy to read and individual concepts YES NO
and analytical techniques are developed in a lucid
manner. 8. Did you keep your copy for future reference?
A B C D F YES NO
4. The drill problems illustrate the pertinent points and help 9. Did the book stimulate your interest in electrical
a student understand the material. engineering?
A B C D F YES NO