AoE is an outstanding text, I learned a lot from it, but it's not for everyone. It's optimal, IMHO, for STEM undergrads coming from outside of EE. For EE's it's too broad and shallow of a survey, for casual hobbyists just starting out it's too technical.

Analog Devices also has a big, free, really high quality electronics course on their wiki.

Which I think starts here, in case anyone was too lazy to search for it :)

https://wiki.analog.com/university/courses/electronics/text/...

I'd also suggest you get the 2nd edition. It had coverage of some circuits (I'm reminded of a particularly clean 2-transistor 'stiff' current source) that are not subsequently covered in the 3rd edition.)

ALSO: if you do buy the 3rd edition, if you are really into this stuff, be SURE to consider buying "AoE - the X Chapters" which is amazing detail on various corners of EE. There is a particularly beautiful explanation of how to control motors with PWM, why variable resistors to control speed works but not well, and some rules-of-thumb learned. And much more.

And finally, if you are Truly Serious (of course you are!) about learning this stuff: Get "Learning AoE" and buy the components they recommend and do the experiments.

No excuses! Do it! ;-)

Is "AoE - the X Chapters" an extra addition to "AoE 3rd Edition" because everything could not be fitted into one book? Or is it something fundamentally different?

That would make it a set of 3 books to have viz. 1) AoE - 3rd edition 2) X-Chapters 3) Learning AoE.

Have i understood correctly?

PS: Does the 3rd edition omit a lot from the 2nd edition? What are the major differences?

a long time ago, I considerd that book to be the closest thing to bible I had