This handbook offers reasonably complete coverage of the fundamentals and applications in contactless smartcards and identification. Automatic identification systems (AIS) are affecting two major areas today. First, in the field of e-commerce, such systems have renewed their relevance in the marketplace by playing a critical role in distribution channels from one end to the other, and connecting the physical and the virtual. AIS are used to track and manage goods and services seamlessly from vendors to clients. The second area is security. After 9/11, in this time of global unrest, this technology is being used in many settings, from the military to civilian airports. Identification of suspected terrorists and disguised bombs has been a major task for agencies such as the US Department of Homeland Security, which plans to use biometrics to identify visitors to the US. Given these renewed needs, this book is timely, but the author neglects to cover these important uses and areas of future potential.

What the book does offer is an exhaustive look at the technology and its more traditional uses, covering everything from radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, from mathematical equations to international standards. It may be slightly dense for some readers. Overall, it is well organized and appropriate for the intended audience of students and engineers. It also offers a range of useful resources, including rich references and the address of the author’s Web site, which offers a collection of useful downloads. It might have been better if the author had sprinkled examples throughout the book, rather than lumping them together in an example applications chapter. Another shortcoming is the lack of examples related to global security and e-commerce.

In summary, this book provides an excellent overview and detailed coverage of RFID technology. Although it lacks some important up-to-date examples of key applications, it is not too difficult to imagine the adaptability of RFID to many industries and government functions. This technology is simple, and yet pervasive in terms of use. As we move ahead into an increasingly wireless society, this is an important book that I would recommend to my students and colleagues.