The author, Claus E. Heinrich, provides a text with extensive insight of current and future RFID technology solutions. Mr. Heinrich’s book focuses on real world businesses RFID solutions, and how selected companies are deploying RFID technology which results in the author’s brand of, “Real World Awareness in Business”. The author’s presentation and interviews with key industry leaders focuses on the theme of deploying “Real World Awareness in Business”, by describing how change, system design, implementation, politics, and the future of RFID technology will bring about this “Awareness” within each company.

This book is written more for executives and system analyst that are in the process of better understanding real world system deployments with RFID technology. The text has a strong bias towards European companies who have already worked with and deployed the technology. This would include, the METRO Group, Deutsche Post World NeT, and Lufthansa. In addition the author provides interviews with US corporations, which include Colgate, Delta Airlines, Intel, and EPCGlobal

RFID Field Guide: Deploying Radio Frequency Identification Systems
Manish Bhuptani
Shahram Moradpour
2005

Although this book is a Sun Microsystems publication, the authors Manish Bhuptani and Shahram Moradpour, have done an excellent job of maintaining an unbiased discussion on the history, developments, and how to deploy RFID technology solutions. In addition, the authors also do a great job of describing the issues associated with conducting a cost benefit analysis with RFID applications and issues associated with selecting the proper vendor for development and system integration. The authors present several simple and to the point case studies for the readers edification of real world deployments. One small note: the case studies are not of MBA content, but still provide valuable insight to real world experiences with the technology.

This is a great read for any individual who is embarking on a RFID project. It is not a highly technical book; the authors have gone to great lengths to put examples in simple business related terms for the readers. All levels of corporate management, cross functional teams, and internal RFID project champions will benefit from this text. It should also be noted, that this book has been used in actual training sessions at RFID World Seminars. Sun, limits their sales pitch to an Appendix that describes their Sun EPCglobal Network Architecture.

RFID Labeling: Smart Labeling Concepts & Applications for the Consumer Packaged Goods Supply Chain
Printrionix, Inc.
Kleist, Chapman, Sakai, Jarvis

This book is a consolidation of technical expertise from Printronix, Inc.’s internal subject matter processionals. The combined authors provide a well written and an easy to read description of RFID technology and the aspects of labeling consumer goods with RFID and Bar Coding printing solutions. The text as a whole is a bit self serving in that you will find it rather biased towards Prinontix printer solutions, and their respective vendors. What you will not find in this book, will be any references to other printing solutions from companies like Intermec, Zebra, and or other RFID vendors. That being said, the authors do a great job of describing the issues surrounding RFID encoding, printing tags, and application of the respective tags to consumer goods at the case and pallet level.

The book is not highly technical, and is a must read for any internal company champion who will be confronted with RFID passive tags and application of tags to case and pallet level applications.

RFID Handbook: Radio-Frequency Identification Fundamentals and Applications
Klaus Finkernzeller
Translated by: Rachel Waddinton

Simply put, this is a great text for individuals who want to understand the detailed technical aspects of RFID technology. The author Laus Finkenzeller, has presented detailed descriptions on transponder characteristics, full & half duplex systems, and design issues associated with Magnetic Field Characterizes of RFID antennas, Data Integrity, security, followed by real world applications. Although the text is copyrighted 1999, the fundamental technical descriptions still hold true for most of the current technology less some of the newer requirements defined in EPCGlobal’s Gen 2 specification. It is still a very good read for those who wish to understand the higher side of the engineering concepts and the underlying technology for RFID systems.

This is not a book for management who do not have a technical and/or a Radio Frequency and electronic background. This book is more for new Engineers entering to the RFID arena, and for technical consultants/team members on RFID projects that need a deeper understanding the technical details surrounding RFID passive technology.

RFID: Radio Frequency Identification
Steven Shepard

For the companies and individuals who are looking for information regarding applications outside of the recent consumer tracking systems associated with EPCGlobal specifications and mandates from Wal-Mart and others. The author presents tags and solutions that are used for more traditional and proven closed loop systems such as today’s speed pass tags, keychain fobs, livestock identification and smart card technology. The only short coming with Mr. Shepard’s book is that about a 25 % of the content is taken up with a listing of RFID players, Industry Acronyms list, and a glossary. If your are in need of one resource for this kind of information, the book will be an added asset to your library for future reference.

This book is a general good read for RFID applications outside of the consumer packing industry. If you have special needs for other closed looped RFID applications, this book should be part of your library. Non-technical and a good reference book for those new to RFID.

RFID: Applications, Security, and Privacy
Simson Garfinkel and Beth Rosenberg

The editors, Garfinkel, and Rosenberg have compiled one of the most current (2005) books on RFID security and real world RFID application deployment currently on the market.

After reading this text, which is a compilation of different papers prepared by industry subject matter experts and companies that have been active in RFID for years, you will fully understand, that RFID is not a new technology. Also, it has been in placed in a wide variety of applications for decades and that the new push for retail mandates and associated security and privacy being the most recent evolutional steps for the technology life cycle.

This book is well written for project champions and especially for management personnel who need to relate to other companies that have already dealt with the issues of RFID privacy and security issues. In addition to the application overviews, the editors are the first to expand on RFID and the impact and acceptance/issues in Latin America and Asia, including China.

Overall, a well compiled text, full of lessons learned and real world experiences.