That transformation did not happen. In this book, Eisenberg weaves the voices of 30 women who worked as carpenters, electricians, ironworkers, painters and plumbers to examine why their numbers remained small. Speaking as if to a friend, the women recall their decisions to enter the trades, their first days on the job and their strategies to gain training and acceptance. They assess, with thought, passion and 20 years perspective, the affirmative action efforts. The author ends with a discussion of the practices and policies that would be required to uproot gender barriers where they are deeply embedded in the organization and culture of the workplace.