Alison Butler provides a careful analysis of U.S. high-technology industries. She discusses why high-technology industries are considered valuable to an economy and examines several performance indicators for high-technology industries in the United States. When possible, Butler compares U.S. indicators with similar indicators in Japan and Germany. She shows that high-technology industries have a significant positive effect on economic growth and that continued U.S. participation in these industries will help maintain high-wage/high-skill jobs and continued economic growth in the United States.