Reddit reviews Robot Building for Beginners, 2nd Edition (Technology in Action)

I'm a Mechanical Engineering student and I found myself in a similar situation as you. I decided I wanted to learn about robotics and make a robot in my free time. I highly suggest Robot Building for Beginners by David Cook. The book goes over design, prototyping, and good practices for technical skills (soldering, etc.).
http://www.amazon.com/Robot-Building-Beginners-Technology-Action/dp/1430227486/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

I am going to double major in comp sci and robotics engineering come fall, and this book would help me with some basics so I will know a little about what I am going to be doing.


But if others need diapers, food or other necessities, I don't want to win!

This is a good book to get started:
http://www.amazon.com/Robot-Building-Beginners-Technology-Action/dp/1430227486/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376499289&sr=1-1&keywords=building+robots

For books, I recommend:

• http://www.amazon.com/Arduino-Robotics-John-David-Warren/dp/1430231831/
  
  
• http://www.amazon.com/Robot-Building-Beginners-Technology-Action/dp/1430227486/

Hello! I've always liked this website as a quick primer: http://www.societyofrobots.com/

I remember liking this book a lot when I first started: http://www.apress.com/us/book/9781430227540 but it's a little more advanced and there's a beginner book as well: https://www.amazon.com/Robot-Building-Beginners-Technology-Action/dp/1430227486

Those books are pretty electrical focused, but if you want to learn more of the software (especially if you don't know much/any programming) I'd recommend the Lego Mindstorms.

Finally there's this book: https://www.amazon.com/Robot-Builders-Bonanza-Gordon-McComb/dp/0071750363 which is a pretty good overall reference and enjoyable to read through.

Disclaimer: I read these books over a decade ago. While they're still relevant some stuff in them is dated (especially the microchip programming portions)

Hello,

I am just beginning to get into robotics but I am a bit confused as where to start. I am 25 years old and I have a degree in Marketing and Data Analytics. I have no background in computer science; however, I have begun to self teach Python and I am finding it very interesting. The language seems to be coming to me a bit natural as well. After weeks of researching, I have come to find out that to build robots, it might be easier for a beginner to learn Arduino first and then get into Raspberry Pi (please correct me if I am mistaken). I have a few questions:

1. Would it be beneficial to start out with a robotics kit? If so, which one would be most helpful? I have noticed that quite a lot of the kits are catered towards younger kids.
   
   
2. Would it be beneficial to get an Arduino Starter kit instead to learn all the basics beforehand? Would anyone recommend me buying “Arduino Starter Kit” by Arduino (link below). Though there are numerous Arduino kits listed on Amazon, I am not entirely sure if this is the right one or rather more useful one to purchase.
   
   Link: https://www.amazon.com/Arduino-Starter-Kit-English-Official/dp/B009UKZV0A/ref=sxin_2_ac_d_pm?keywords=arduino+kit&pd_rd_i=B009UKZV0A&pd_rd_r=9e598ad7-4080-4b23-b252-6efd4676fefe&pd_rd_w=ipetL&pd_rd_wg=durVx&pf_rd_p=64aaff2e-3b89-4fee-a107-2469ecbc5733&pf_rd_r=BTX5Q96NT2QPSCJ4FQBW&qid=1562463627&s=gateway
   
   
   
3. Rather than buying any kits, would it be beneficial to buy “Robot Building For Beginners” book by David Cook? I read a few pages and the book did seem quite comprehensive regarding the basics of a robot building.
   
   Link: https://www.amazon.com/Robot-Building-Beginners-Technology-Action/dp/1430227486/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=robotics+book&qid=1562463842&s=gateway&sr=8-3
   
   My goal is to learn robotics from inside and out. I do not wish to simply follow a given template or copy/paste a given code. I would like to learn how the code operates internally and how everything is processed. I also do not wish to spend hundreds of dollars since I would like to start on smaller scale and comprehend all the basics first and then start doing larger projects.
   
   If anyone could please guide me where to essentially start with robotics, I would greatly appreciate it!!