Review

This manuscript by Steven Shepard (a Vermont writer with deep expertise in international telecommunications) marks the first technology text to explore radio frequency identification from both the consumer’s and supplier’s perspectives.

Basically, RFID is the foundation of the wireless communications industry and it stands at the forefront of a market that is expected to boom in the next decade. Shepard’s text covers the topic in broad terms and he escorts the reader through the subject with amazing deftness - giving us an over-view of the business side of RFID and then segueing into its pertinent technical aspects: explaining each of the components of radio frequency identification and then noting how these labyrinths interlock to create a multi-layered system. Throughout the course of his treatise, Shepard is careful to thoughtfully address security issues that could develop as a result of using high-grade radio frequency systems - especially important at a time when threats of terrorism dominate. Mr. Shepard should be commended for his work here: the writing is crisp and clear, bringing the ability to dissect an ultra-complex topic and speak to it in practical terms.

For the majority of the populous, the way their electronic gadgets work is secondary to the fact that they actually work. However, RFID is written in a way that illuminates how advances in technology have revolutionized our lives and will continue to instigate change as we move deeper into the 21st century. Since the industry is predicted to generate over 10 billion in earnings over the next decade, the information contained here is vital to beginning to understand the changing aspects of our world. Interesting not only for the wealth of technical information presented, but also for the social issues that are revealed as a result of the way we now communicate.

Recommended to all college-level libraries as a general reference text. Also should be considered by technical science instructors whose courses over-lap with this subject matter. A burgeoning area of study that is addressed in concrete and thorough terms. (Electric Review )

From the Back Cover

TAG THE HOTTEST GROWTH IN WIRELESS

With a predicted $10-billion market over the next decade, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is a booming new wireless technology with an eager new audience—retailers. From global giant Wal-Mart down, RFID is being adapted to track inventories via microchip-tagged products. Popular technology writer Steven Shepard's RFID gives you an inside look at the entire arena, from the technology's staggering capabilities and potential, through insightful coverage of issues from vendors, implementation, and monitoring, to possible technical conflicts, market forecasts, and security.

A must-read for both technical types and retailers, this book's need-to-know contents include:
Defining RFID • Underlying Technologies • Technological Competitors • Future RFID Applications • RFID/3G/Bluetooth Coexistence • Implementation • Potential Roadblocks • RFID Security • RFID Chips, Readers, and Applications Sets • Short- and Long-Term Forecasts