[Mike Betts]

Andy,

I have found the following book, intended to teach the elements of electronics to non-EE scientists (such as chemists and physicists), to be extremely useful as an introductory text into electronics: Electronics and Instrumentation for Scientists by Malmstadt, Enke & Crouch

I know that this book is over 25 years old but, IMHO, it is still very relevant to the beginner. For example, the chapter on microcomputers will seem a bit dated until you realize that functionality of the 6' racks in 1981 is basically the same as the PIC microcontroller chip in your robot controller.

Good Luck,

Mike