When I graduated from engineering school, my engineering universe was not remotely similar to yours today. The slide rule remained the stalwart companion of every engineer. Although it is obsolete and almost unknown in function, or even in appearance, to many readers of this volume, I still keep mine as a link to those simpler times.

For readers of this work, technology is a major part of your life, furnishing significantly powerful work tools, communication systems, and even recreational activities. Technology is allowing you to do things that I could not even imagine in my wildest dreams as an engineering student or apprentice engineer. The advent of the microprocessor was very exciting for the old-timers to watch. The applications today seem to be advancing at blinding speed. I recently heard that a major electronics chain is installing trash bins near the exits because what a customer just purchased is likely to be obsolete before it leaves the premises.

You are embarking on an exciting career. Adapting to new and constantly evolving technology will be challenging. Your commitment to lifelong learning is of paramount importance to your success. Some of you will be working "shoulder to shoulder" with engineers around the globe because the Internet has made it possible. International collaboration is no longer a dream. It is as real as the continents and the oceans. We hope to give you some helpful pointers in this book, some of which may become as obsolete as the slide rule in a decade.