3G, 4G and Beyond: Bringing Networks, Devices and the Web Together 2nd Edition

As the subtitle says, this book tries to bring "networks, devices and the web together" in one end-to-end discussion. Needless to say, this is an ambitious undertaking, given that any one of the three subjects could be easily expanded into a standalone book. Having said that, I think this book fills a much needed gap: ground up overview of the mobile ecosystem, packaged into a single and approachable read.By definition, the discussions on each topic are not as in-depth as some might like, but Martin Sauter finds a good balance between highlighting the important concepts, and not getting stuck in the technical minutea. The content serves as a good launching point for further research (if you are so inclined), and there is a good bibliography for each section to get you started.Covered topics include:- Brief history of mobile networks (1990-2012)- Brief comparison of UMTS, HSPA, HSPA+ and LTE architecture- Discussion on real-world deployment challenges- Discussion on evolution of mobile hardware- Discussion on evolution of mobile softwareThis book is a great read for anyone interested in learning how, and why the mobile web works as it does - a perfect starting point for a curious engineer with no or minimum prior exposure to the mobile and wireless worlds. Then, once you're done with this one, check out Martin's "From GSM to LTE" for a great soup-to-nuts introduction to the different wireless standards.