This book examines information technology standards and discusses what they are, what they do, how they originate, and how they evolve.
While standards are important in improving system interoperability and thereby increasing economic productivity, they are unlikely to achieve their full potential due to a variety of factors, chief of which is the politics of the standard process itself. Libicki points out that the government is not likely the best source for designing and promoting standards. He does an excellent job of breaking down many complex technical issues and presenting them in a fashion that technical people can enjoy and policy makers can understand.