Software Engineer

November 1, 2017

Gr 5 Up-Each title starts with an introductory infograph called "At a Glance" and leaves no doubt that the future belongs to math and science, pointing to large job growth percentages, high average salaries, and minimum educational requirements that do not always demand a four-year degree. Analysts in Big Data and Cybersecurity are in high demand to manage and protect the billions of records and unstructured data that are produced each day. The narrative is current and on top of the latest research and development, mentioning innovations such as motion-tracking gloves that allow users to touch virtual objects. The conversation flows easily and covers all of the traditional training, salary, and outlook information. Interesting asides address moral issues, such as robots taking jobs away from humans, the lack of women in software engineering jobs, and the critical need to be able to translate "geek-speak" to nonengineers. Inset boxes with quotes from the field, question-and-answer interviews, and close-up captioned photos are all icing on the cake. VERDICT Technology advancements at a breakneck pace make this a timely addition to high school career and STEM collections.

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