Ladyada interview with Paul Horowitz - The Art of Electronics

[miguelvp]

Also available here (the TOC)

http://artofelectronics.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/AoE_3e_table-of-contents.pdf

Full Chapter 9 link in first post on this as well:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/the-art-of-electronics-(3rd)-chapter-9/

I would put the direct link but want Blofeld to take his due credit

[mtdoc]

Wow, tough crowd!

Cool interview despite its flaws.

Keep in mind that LadyAda is not a video blogger or professional interviewer. She's an EE and business owner who probably has never done an interview like this before. I'm not sure any of us could do better.

[con-f-use]

But some of us might have Masters Degrees in EE and know how a satellite dish or transmission line termination works. That, in deed, was a bit surprising. Maybe she was just playing uninformed, so that non-professional viewers would get some answers. The interview itself was fine and informative. Lady Ada tried to contribute something and make it a conversation instead of a monologue. That's exactly what I like about Dave's interviews. Naturally Limor and Horrowitz didn't exactly meet at eye level, but he has a few decades of top academic research on her and she has to manage a business. He interrupted her just as often.

Another thing, I'd like to read your opinion on: It was the first time I ever saw Horrowitz and heard him talking. You could see how much of an old school scientist he is, his knowledge just oozing out. However, call me a heretic, but for some reason I didn't like him personally. I can't put my finger on it, but I wouldn't want to work for him or take  one of his classes. It just seems like he has a vicious side. Its like he tried to come across nice, when he really isn't.

[ornea]

Ok, I am sold.  Where is a good place to order the book for someone in Western Australia.

I am thinking  direct from

www.cambridge.org

or cheaper at

www.bookdepository.com.

Any preferences/suggestions.

[Tandy]

I think some people confuse criticism of something with a personal attack.

Limor has done a lot to help promote the 'maker' scene and has created a successful business from nothing at the same time. She deserves the recognition that she gets for those achievements. However her video interviewing technique didn't work for me. It is not often that you get to hear from people like Horowitz so I would much prefer to hear what he had to say without the interruptions. I'm hoping she may see some of the feedback and take it as constructive advice for the next interview video she does rather than an attack on her.

[george graves]

However, call me a heretic, but for some reason I didn't like him personally. I can't put my finger on it, but I wouldn't want to work for him or take  one of his classes. It just seems like he has a vicious side. Its like he tried to come across nice, when he really isn't.

You need to re-tune your antenna.  Your "ass-hat" detector is 180 degrees out of phase IMHO

[Obin]

"never took a course in electronics"

 

[Blofeld]

Another thing, I'd like to read your opinion on: It was the first time I ever saw Horrowitz and heard him talking. You could see how much of an old school scientist he is, his knowledge just oozing out. However, call me a heretic, but for some reason I didn't like him personally. I can't put my finger on it, but I wouldn't want to work for him or take  one of his classes. It just seems like he has a vicious side. Its like he tried to come across nice, when he really isn't.

Can't confirm the impression he might be hiding some vicious side. What surprised me was how youthful he appears - he was already a prof in 1974, right?

Anyway, 2 interesting facts about the upcoming books were mentionend:

1) "Learning the Art of Electronics" will be a 1000-page volume (watch at 42:45), expanded from the 620 pages or so from the last "Student Manual" that accompanied the 2nd edition

2) The "X-Chapters" book will come out within the next 2 years (watch at 48:10)

[EEVblog]

Lady Ada tried to contribute something and make it a conversation instead of a monologue. That's exactly what I like about Dave's interviews. Naturally Limor and Horrowitz didn't exactly meet at eye level, but he has a few decades of top academic research on her and she has to manage a business. He interrupted her just as often.

I often cop the same flack for my interviews, because they aren't really interviews, they are just really a "conversation" and you go with the flow.
I for example often (without actually trying to do it deliberately) try to guide the conversation for the sake of either the audience, or my own personal curiosity. If I think of something interesting on the spot that they aren't mentioning or I don't get the sense they are going to get around to mentioning then I'll often interject.
Often it's a question I know the answer too, but I know the audience might not, and I know it will make for interesting detail. If so, you are damn right I'm going to interject.
Sometimes if you leave the question to later and do the "so lets go back to discuss this again..." it ruins the flow, or worse, you just let it slide by. That's worse than interjecting IMO.
Way too often I've seen bloggers interview people and they hardly say anything, and I scream at the screen "ask them more detail about what they just said" etc. It's very often boring because your average person being interviewed is not great at entertaining long story monologues. A good technical interviewer should be able to interject all the time with interesting questions as they come up in the conversation, whilst still ensuring they let the person ultimately finish what they were saying.
And it's not just technical, I see it in professional news and current affairs interviews too when the interviewee mentions something amazing or controversial, and the interviewer just goes on being "professional" and asks the next set question they have, and they miss the opportunity, that sucks.

I haven't watched the whole video yet, but I suspect Limor's style isn't too dissimilar to mine.
Everyone thinks they can do better, but I'd bet they most will either be batshit boring, or do something not too dissimilar. No such thing as the perfect interview, and every interviewee is different, and you don't know what they are like until you are in the thick of it. I'd suggest cutting her some slack.

[SeanB]

Dave, you are more interested in the topic ( and definitely know more than the talking head in most cases) so you can afford those tangents. Doug Ford is very interesting, and you two are a good example of an interview and education from both parties, with good explanation in all cases.

[EEVblog]

Dave, you are more interested in the topic ( and definitely know more than the talking head in most cases) so you can afford those tangents. Doug Ford is very interesting, and you two are a good example of an interview and education from both parties, with good explanation in all cases.

The thing with the videos I've done with Doug is that I know the guy, he's a mate, we worked together for 5 years or so, I often know what he's going to say before he says it, or I know where he's going etc.
When you interview or do videos with people you don't know, you have to completely wing it. No one style can work in all cases.

[Jope]

Some people here seem to think that Limor Fried owes them something.
She owes you absolutely nothing. She can interview and talk with whomever she wants, in whatever way she wants.
Take it or leave it.

Pink hair, cool place, collecting AoE editions, interrupting him in the interview all time...
Is it a way to hide their lack of background? Does she want so much attention?

Your comment says more about yourself then about her.

[zapta]

Some people here have problem with negative feedback. It's just as valid as positive feedback.

[rolycat]

I thought the interview was great. Paul and Limor appeared comfortable chatting together and indulging in the odd bit of teasing, and the informal style seemed to suit his character.

[ornea]

Ok, I am sold.  Where is a good place to order the book for someone in Western Australia.

I am thinking  direct from

www.cambridge.org

or cheaper at

www.bookdepository.com.

I went with book depository.  Free shipping and they take paypal

Any preferences/suggestions.

[timofonic]

Some people here seem to think that Limor Fried owes them something.
She owes you absolutely nothing. She can interview and talk with whomever she wants, in whatever way she wants.
Take it or leave it.

Pink hair, cool place, collecting AoE editions, interrupting him in the interview all time...
Is it a way to hide their lack of background? Does she want so much attention?

Your comment says more about yourself then about her.

I have nothing to hide! I accept negative feedback like in electronics. So shoot me!

I'm a total newbie, lack of style, with some mental illness, poor and still unable to get  job.

But I'm tired of people that have too much style or proffessional ass lickers and gets all the credit or even appropiated others' work, I suffered that in many stuff I did and it's one of the reasons I abandoned many interests. And often times the nerdy people are really hard working on it or even the people struggling at it and having difficulties with the topics but nobody cares of them.

Of course I envy their money and resources, who's not in my position!

[Tandy]

Everyone thinks they can do better, but I'd bet they most will either be batshit boring, or do something not too dissimilar.

I'm not sure I agree with that part, I for one don't think I could do better. I have tried working on the radio and just don't like the sound of my own voice. So in my case I just found that I wanted to hear what he had to say in his words rather than Limor cutting him off.

[bitwelder]

I don't know if anybody noticed at the last second of the video (after it went already black) Horowitz saying "There it was more than 5 minutes...". 

[iloveelectronics]

My favourite part of the interview:

"The third edition manuscript was due in December... of 1994, according to our original contract. So we delivered it 20 years late."

I wonder how many other people can get away with missing a deadline by 20 years 

[MDG]

Another thing, I'd like to read your opinion on: It was the first time I ever saw Horrowitz and heard him talking. You could see how much of an old school scientist he is, his knowledge just oozing out. However, call me a heretic, but for some reason I didn't like him personally. I can't put my finger on it, but I wouldn't want to work for him or take  one of his classes. It just seems like he has a vicious side. Its like he tried to come across nice, when he really isn't.

I took Physics 123 from Paul Horowitz many years ago. At least from the perspective of a student, I can say that he really is a very nice guy. He is an excellent teacher. I remember he was very approachable, patient, happy to answer questions, and he exuded an infectious enthusiasm for electronics (and physics).

[Howardlong]

Some people here seem to think that Limor Fried owes them something.
She owes you absolutely nothing. She can interview and talk with whomever she wants, in whatever way she wants.
Take it or leave it.

Pink hair, cool place, collecting AoE editions, interrupting him in the interview all time...
Is it a way to hide their lack of background? Does she want so much attention?

Your comment says more about yourself then about her.

No, I don't think people are saying that she owes them something at all, you are reading in far too much into it as far as I am concerned.

If you've ever had a discussion with someone who thinks they know it all, and doesn't, and repeatedly keeps trying to finish your sentences for you (often incorrectly) it becomes irritating. Perhaps she may have been playing dumb, maybe she's a damn good actress, but to me it was a case of engaging mouth before engaging brain. There was a similar situation recently with another interviewer talking with Sophie Wilson but not to quite the same extent.



As I stated before, I am all for go getters and people who add value, and Ladyada has certainly achieved that, she has nothing to prove, end of story. But that doesn't mean she's automatically good at interviewing. We all have skills in certain areas, we can't all automatically be good at everything.

It's down to a style and knowing when to listen and when to add to conversation. And no, I'm not saying I'd do any better, far from it in fact, but that also does not exclude me from having an opinion either.

Edit: for readability due to embedded url.

[c4757p]

Some people here seem to think that Limor Fried owes them something.
She owes you absolutely nothing. She can interview and talk with whomever she wants, in whatever way she wants.
Take it or leave it.

<snip>

No, I don't think people are saying that she owes them something at all, you are reading in far too much into it as far as I am concerned.

<snip>

The hypocrites who subscribe to the "nobody can have or speak a negative opinion about anything, ever" school of thought are best ignored, in my experience...

[mtdoc]

But I'm tired of people that have too much style or proffessional ass lickers and gets all the credit or even appropiated others' work, I suffered that in many stuff I did and it's one of the reasons I abandoned many interests. And often times the nerdy people are really hard working on it or even the people struggling at it and having difficulties with the topics but nobody cares of them.

Of course I envy their money and resources, who's not in my position!

This is way off base if you're referring to Limor.  She has bachelors and master's degrees from MIT. She designed and built several cool things before running Adafruit became her main gig. Have a look HERE for more info on what she's done.  The Wavebubble she designed and built for her Masters thesis is especially cool IMO. I'd love to build one.

[mtdoc]

I took Physics 123 from Paul Horowitz many years ago. At least from the perspective of a student, I can say that he really is a very nice guy. He is an excellent teacher. I remember he was very approachable, patient, happy to answer questions, and he exuded an infectious enthusiasm for electronics (and physics).

Nice to hear. That is exactly the same impression I got from watching the video. I''m looking forward to the interview with Hill.

[Richard Crowley]

Video conferencing really does suck 

Anybody who watches TWIT knows that is not true.  Even internationally.