2nd that. As a hobbyist with a limited theory knowledge and no chance to learn something as I would forget it in a week if not used daily, I'd rather pick a book that explains the "why" in a way i can understand (examples!) just like I was learning to play an instrument by ear instead of attending music school for a decade or more.
I loved The Art of Electronics and some books by the ARRL, but also would suggest those from RSGB (the ARRL equivalent in Great Britain).
Regarding antennas, unless one works above the GHZ, technology hasn't changed in decades, so many electronics and HAM related magazines and books that can be downloaded for free from the Internet Archive can be a valuable source of information.
> I'd rather pick a book that explains the "why" in a way i can understand (examples!)
Examples don't explain the "why". Hard physics textbooks, on the other hand, attempt to do (at least up to the level of the boundary of the current scientific state of knowledge), but often demand a lot from the reader,
I loved The Art of Electronics and some books by the ARRL, but also would suggest those from RSGB (the ARRL equivalent in Great Britain). Regarding antennas, unless one works above the GHZ, technology hasn't changed in decades, so many electronics and HAM related magazines and books that can be downloaded for free from the Internet Archive can be a valuable source of information.