[8bitsrule]

True. It's like what's happened with electronics, radio, video in that way. A solid grasp of the (always-present) basic components, and basic tech and design philosophy, goes a long way. It's like learning a language.

So easily-understandable articles like this are essential for beginners, along with a short list of masterful books ( e.g. those by Forrest Mims, for electronics) and playing with physical components! The rest is the endless variations, but they're all speaking that language, 'cuz the laws don't change.