BOOKS : ****Excellent***Good**Fair*Poor

“Peter McWilliams’ Personal Electronics Book.” Prentice Hall. Baffled about the world of VCRs, CDs, camcorders, etc.? Here’s the most pleasant one-stop way to get rid of at least some of the confusion. McWilliams, noted for his breezy, trustworthy “Personal Computer Book,” follows it up with an equally informative and very readable volume on electronic appliances. He perhaps takes on too much--video accessories, phones, answering machines, still cameras, even coffee-makers and indoor spas! One result: The review sections of individual chapters are usually limited to a comparison of about three models--often casually chosen (TVs, for example). McWilliams is best at wittily, concisely and irreverently explaining the history and function of all this modern gear. For that alone, the 330-page book’s a must at $10.95.*** 1/2