Ever wanted to create an Atari 2600 PC? What about moding your Xbox? How about replacing the screen on your Game Boy? This book will show you how to do all of these things and more. All you need (aside from a couple of basic tools) is a strong stomach and an iron resolve to void your warranty. In fact, having no fear is 90% of the work.
This book provides step-by-step instructions for a number of various "hacking" projects on a variety of consoles. The majority of the hacks in this book deal with "retro" or "classic" systems, like the Atari series (2600, 5200, or 7800) as well as the Nintendo NES system. Some of these hacks update these systems to work on modern televisions (like the addition of S-video to the 2600), but most are just for fun (like creating a left-hand Atari controller).
The hacks for modern consoles are also quite interesting, but most are concerned with the installation of a mod chip. There is some interesting discussion about installing Linux on a Game Boy or Xbox. The authors discuss how to boot a PS2 from a memory card, and other interesting items. However, while these sections are very useful and quite interesting, there's nothing quite like dissecting an obsolete video game system.
This book even has an appendix dedicated to teaching the basics of electrical engineering. There is also a great list of distributors for obsolete or hard-to-find components. In fact, the appendix is so good that it alone makes this book worthwhile.
If you're ever going to take apart some electronic system, I would first suggest getting a book by these guys. If that electronic system happens to be some game console, then this is the book for you. These guys know what they're doing-they're the best.