While the communications/networking field continues to churn, some technical publishers have been working hard to keep up with the changes. These recent books provide an excellent and current look at the industry.
In the wireless arena, check out editor Farid Dowla's Handbook of RF & Wireless Technologies from Newnes/Elsevier. Experts from all kinds of wireless specialties have contributed up-to-date chapters on topics like software-defined radios, orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM), wireless sensor networks, RFID, ultra-wideband, and much more. Visit books.elsevier.com/communications for more information.
Wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) Sonet/SDH systems are growing in number, and many use array-waveguide (AWG) components to implement up to hundreds of wavelength channels. Few books about them exist, but Metropolitan Area WDM Networks: An AWG-Based Approach by Martin Maier is one of the best. This volume from Kluwer Academic Publishers is a good introduction to the field, and it's as current technically as any other books I've seen. Go to www.wkap.nl for details.
Almost all wireless systems use turbo codes today. For the newcomer looking for a reference, Turbo Codes: Desirable and Designable by Giulietti/Bougard/Van Der Perre from Kluwer Academic Publishers is a good introduction. It also provides in-depth coverage. Again, see www.wkap.nl for more info.
Storage-area networks (SANs) have become a booming business, and more and more engineers are getting involved. Tom Clark's Designing Storage Area Networks, 2nd edition from Addison-Wesley is a good book that covers the field well through the fundamentals, Fibre Channel, and all of the new Internet Protocol (IP) SANs with TCP/IP and iSCSI. As a good summary of all standards, it's a great reference if you're working in this evolving area. You can find further details online at www.awprofessional.com.
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention two new books written by yours truly.
Published by McGraw Hill, the second edition of Principles of Electronic Communications Systems targets second- and third-year college students in introductory communications engineering courses. Working designers will find that it's a solid reference as well. This text covers the whole field, including modulation and multiplexing, digital communications, antennas and transmission lines, and networking. It also delves into all aspects of wireless communications, including the newer stuff like 3G, UWB, Bluetooth, and RF-ID. Additional lab manuals about the material are available. The book can be found at www.glencoe.com.
Next, check out RF Power for Industrial Applications, published by Pearson Prentice Hall. It reviews RF power generation, amplification, impedance matching, and power measurement and control. Its main focus is RF power in semiconductor manufacturing applications like etching, ashing, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor disposition, and sputtering. RF power in MRI machines and industrial heating is covered as well. A special section reviews linear power amplifiers for wideband wireless applications, too. Lab manuals relating to the material are available. Go to vig.prenhall.com for more information.