In today's competitive world, a good education is a necessity. By combining that education with a strong background in math and logic, you are ready for any career. I created this book for two reasons: to motivate students to take math every year in high school; and to encourage high school and college students—especially women and minorities—to consider technical fields when planning their careers.

Although women have always worked at home and in business, they are still a minority in most technical professions. For this reason, all the contributors to this book are women from many different fields. In their own words they tell how they became interested in math, where they went to school, and how they chose a career. The problems in each chapter are taken directly from their work experiences, to show how math and logic are used to solve real problems even in fields that aren't math-oriented, such as nursing. Here is a collection of concrete answers to the question, “Why should I take math?”

The women and men of past generations fought hard to win the right to be educated, to vote, and to work in any field they chose. Thanks to their efforts, I enjoy a challenging, well-paid job in a technical field. I hope this book will enable more women and minorities to enjoy these benefits also.