Hi there! I'm Jay, a passionate radio communication engineer fascinated by the world of radio communication, electronics, and wireless technologies. I’ve got decades of experience designing and building projects in the industry, and I always try to stay up-to-date with the latest innovations in the field.
This site curates what I believe to be some of the most insightful books in the tech sector, from radio and electronics to wireless networks, the Internet of Things, and smart home technologies.
If you are a fellow engineer, a tech enthusiast, or simply want to learn more about this exciting industry, I promise you’re going to find some valuable recommendations on Star28.
I wanted to highlight exactly 28 books on the site initially, but I simply couldn't replace some of them. So, the site includes 30+ books as of today.
If you’ve got a tech book recommendation, drop me a note. I’ll read the book, and if it’s got what it takes, I promise I’ll review it and add it to my list.
Let’s dive in!
This book is widely regarded as one of the best resources for people interested in understanding how antennas work.
If you are a beginner in the field, you will learn about radiation patterns, impedance matching, antenna efficiency, and so much more. And the good news is that complex theorical concepts are explained thoroughly using examples and practical applications. I promise that you are going to love the illustrations and diagrams in the book!
"Antenna Physics: An Introduction" starts with basic electromagnetic theory, but covers advanced stuff as well. So, if you are a veteran radio amateur, there are quite a few things for you in this book as well...
Let’s get something clear straight from the beginning: this book discusses advanced topics, so its target audience consists of graduate students and specialists working in the electrical engineering field.
You should buy "RF Circuit Design: Theory and Applications" if you want to deepen your understanding of transmission lines, oscillators, filters, mixers, and so much more.
I especially liked the authors’ ability to dissect highly technical material by making use of intuitive diagrams and step-by-step explanations of real-world examples...
Samuel Greengard’s book is part of "The MIT Press Essential Knowledge" series. Its target readers are not only beginners, but also specialists with a tech background who want to understand how IoT devices can be integrated in various business sectors.
"The Internet of Things" gently guides its readers through the intimidating landscape of IoT. It covers foundational concepts, and then moves on to historical context, current, and future applications. It’s a simple, balanced perspective that works, making the book easy to understand for a broad audience.
Greengard uses lots of practical examples to illustrate how IoT is transforming the industry. He explores Internet of Things applications in the context of smart homes, smart cities, industrial automation, health care, and more...
"WiMAX: Technology for Broadband Wireless Access" allows its readers to explore the innovative technology that is used for a wide variety of applications, ranging from point-to-point links to cellular networks.
The book starts with a detailed introduction to WiMAX, explaining how it branched out of the 802.16 standard framework. Then, it moves on to Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) and Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO).
If you ever wanted to learn more about the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer, the best Quality of Service (QoS) mechanisms, the structure of WiMAX networks - including base stations and network management systems, mesh networks, and more, you’ll find all the info here, in this book...
"Wireless Communication Networks and Systems" by William Stallings and Cory Beard covers both basic and advanced topics meticulously.
The book starts by discussing core concepts: radio transmission principles, signal propagation, the electromagnetic spectrum, and so on. So, the first chapters will be easy to digest even for people who are new to wireless communication.
The next sections move on to Wi-Fi standards (IEEE 802.11), Bluetooth, Zigbee, and cellular systems, up to the newest 5G technologies. What makes this book stand out is its thorough look at the most important vulnerabilities of wireless networks...
Elliott D. Kaplan and Christopher J. Hegarty have done a great job exploring the intricacies of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). It’s a great book I wholeheartedly recommend to beginners and field professionals alike.
Each section focuses on various aspects of GNSS. The first few chapters cover the history and evolution of GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, etc. Then, the authors explore the key characteristics of GNSS signals: frequency bands, modulation, and so on. If you get the book, I promise that you will like the clear illustrations and diagrams a lot.
The GNSS receivers section tackles signal acquisition and tracking, data processing, positioning methods, and more. In the end, the authors discuss the future of GNSS technology, as well as its relevance for navigation, surveying, and military usage...
This book has been written for developers who are interested in designing and implementing robust IoT solutions.
It starts by discussing the huge impact of IoT on various industries, thus setting the stage for further exploration. Then, it explores the different types of IoT sensors and how they work. The following section analyzes the communication infrastructure, which ensures that data is transmitted efficiently and in a safe manner.
Later on, Perry Lea discusses edge computing, showcasing ways in which data that’s processed closer to the source boosts efficiency.
This brand-new tech book is an invaluable resource for beginners, as well as for seasoned engineers working in the computer networking field. I know it’s a daring assertion, but the author’s simple, practical approach really works!
"The Computer Networking Handbook" begins by presenting basic concepts such as network types and topologies, and the detailed diagrams help readers understand and memorize the information without problems.
Later on, the author teaches readers how to build reliable and scalable networks from scratch, covering all there is to know about the process, including hardware configurations and the required software.
Network security is more important than ever, so Trevor Shelwick has ensured that key security protocols, firewalls, VPNs, and encryption are discussed comprehensively, helping network architects protect their networks from any potential threat...