ALA Booklist (Fri Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

Biometrics, the science of using your body's unique codes for identification, is appealingly presented here. Common biometrics, like fingerprints; facial, voice, and hand geometry recognition; and retina scans are described. Also mentioned are other biometrics currently being studied: ear shapes, tongue ridges, or a person's breath. A prototype that can accurately identify someone by their unique odor, or smellprint, is just one biometric being tested. Others include "bum recognition," from Japanese scientists who are "working on a car seat that identifies you by your bum," eliminating the need for a key. With all of these possibilities, security passwords and physical keys may become obsolete. Privacy concerns and disadvantages of each biometric are also addressed, and cute cartoon illustrations accompany the text, which includes an index, selected sources (mostly adult), and sidebar overviews of each biometric. There's a real need for information on this topic for this age, and although its brevity makes this most useful as supplementary material for reports, young readers will find it interesting.

Kirkus Reviews

From fingerprints to voice, tongue, and even odor recognition, Birmingham explores the ways our identities are being linked to unique physical features or behaviors.It's a quick overview, with general looks at several types of established or experimental biometrics and briefer glances at a few more-speculative ones. For each of the former the author rates collection difficulty and (putative) level of security on a simple scale, then goes on to discuss in nontechnical language collection methods, current uses, and distinctive pros and cons. As food for thought, she does weigh the convenience of using biometrics rather than plastic or passwords as identification over such larger privacy and security issues as the proliferation of surveillance cameras in public places. This nuance is missing, however, with her closing, superficial observation that even if it's "anyone's guess" where the science of biometrics is headed, at least it shows that we're all "unique through and through." Turner's small cartoon views of stylized high-tech gear and simplified (if diversely hued) human figures brighten the presentation without adding much of substance. It's a light once-over that really doesn't do the complex topic justice, but it may spur young readers into taking care with their IDs and personal information. (index, source list) (Nonfiction. 9-11)

School Library Journal (Sat Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

Gr 5 Up-iometric identification uses technology to collect information about the unique physical and behavioral characteristics of individuals in order to authenticate their identity. There are more than seven billion humans on our planet, so it makes sense, according to Birmingham, to ditch the ubiquitous and easily hackable password method of identification in favor of new technologies. Written in a friendly and accessible style, chapters are short and full of vibrant cartoon illustrations that add some levity to the subject matter. (Frankenstein's face appears in the lineup in the "Facial Recognition: Face the Facts" sidebar.) Birmingham explores established and emerging biometric identification methods, explaining how fingerprint, hand geometry, and facial recognition work and where they are already being used. Iris, retinal, voice, and vein scanning are also covered. The future of biometrics is wide open. There might come a day when we are identified by our tongues, ears, gait, or even scent! For each method of biometric identification there is a highlighted sidebar detailing the type (physiological or behavioral), the difficulty involved in collecting data for the biometric, and how reliable and secure it is. Areas of concern such as issues of privacy and potential malfunctions of biometric systems are addressed. VERDICT The use of biometrics in the science of identity authentication is here to stay. This compelling and comprehensible overview of the field is recommended for middle school readers.Ragan O'Malley, Saint Ann's School, Brooklyn