The Secret Life of Bar Codes - Softcover

This book celebrates the 40th anniversary of the bar code and is written for those who over the years have asked the author what these bar codes are all about. It deals with why they were invented, who created them, how they are managed and used, whether they have been 'a good thing', how much longer they will last and what may replace them. It tells you how you can 'read between the lines' and 'what's in a number'. But it is not a detailed technical or historical account. It is an entertaining account full of stories and personalities designed to show that the term 'interesting bar codes' is not an oxymoron.

John Berry was once described by his daughter's teacher as 'the man who draws all those lines on products'. Happily that is not true. But he has been involved in the world of bar coding for almost 20 years, including periods as Chairman of the GS1 UK organisation and Chairman of the GS1 global organisation. He worked for Boots in the UK for over 25 years and was responsible for introducing point-of-sale scanning to over a thousand stores. He has also held non-executive positions on the boards of several companies in the retail industry.