Wireless communication has become an essential part of our daily lives. An increase in the popularity of wireless and mobile communication technologies has drawn the attention of academicians and researchers in fields related to wireless communication. While we carry out research and teaching activities in different areas of wireless communication and related technologies, how much emphasis is given to the basics and their application in real-life scenarios?

I teach wireless network technologies to my students. While teaching the physical layer concepts, I cover topics like frequency shifting, modulation and demodulation of a signal, the role of radio frequency (RF) transceivers, and amplifiers. Many teachers may agree with me when I say that it is difficult to make computer science and networking students comprehend many topics--such as the flow of electromagnetic waves in the wireless medium, the concepts of frequency shifting, modulation and demodulation, the transmission and reception of electromagnetic waves, and noise and interference--which should be known to a wireless network engineer. I need to explain these concepts to my students in a simple and easy-to-understand way. Most importantly, I help them enjoy learning the subject by relating the concepts to real-life examples. I came across a book [1] by Robert Sobot, which includes 12 chapters that cover basic terminologies in wireless communication, electronic devices, RF receivers and amplifiers, frequency shifting, and signal modulation and demodulation. I feel lucky to have come across that book for its content, the simple way in which the information is explained, and the way it is related to real-life examples, accompanied by problems and their solutions.

To make a student understand a subject better, problem solving plays an important role. Robert Sobot has written the book under review as a supplement to his other book [1]. The supplement comprises problems and detailed solutions for the topics covered in the main book [1]. The supplement is divided into two parts. Part 1 consists of 12 chapters of problems corresponding to the 12 chapters in the main book. The topics covered include an introduction to wireless communication and the propagation of electromagnetic (EM) waves, basic terminology, electrical noise, electronic devices, the role of electrical resonance, the importance of matching networks in RF communication, RF receivers, the role of RF and IF amplifiers, oscillators, the modulation and demodulation of signals, and frequency shifting. On average, every chapter contains ten to 15 problems. Problems vary from indirect questions that make one think about how to proceed in solving them, to simple ones that are more direct and easy to solve.

Part 2 consists of detailed solutions to the problems in the respective chapters in Part 1. The solutions detail the approach and the reason to follow the given approach to solve the problem, which is something I did not find in other similar books. I must say that solving the problems given in this book was not only enlightening, but also fun, mainly because solutions with detailed explanations were given. Otherwise, one tends to give up, either due to lack of clarity on how to proceed or lack of information on whether the approach to solve the problem or the solution is right or not.

The two books (main [1] and the supplement) are sincere attempts by the author to help people understand the intricacies behind the electronics in wireless communication. I feel that the author has succeeded in achieving that. The stronger the basics, the better the understanding and grasp of a subject will be. I recommend these books to students, teachers, and engineers who work in this field. Wireless communication is very fascinating, and people who are inquisitive about how things work in wireless communication can try reading the main book [1], which is written more like a storybook of electronics. The supplement too may catch the interest of those outside of this field because of the detailed explanations given for solutions. Even if you are not able to solve the problems, you will learn from this book.