  This theoretical review is intended to give non-theorists a flavor of the
ideas driving the current efforts to experimentally find supersymmetry. We
discuss the main reasons behind the expectation that supersymmetry may be "just
around the corner" and may be discovered in the near future. We use simple
quantum-mechanical examples to illustrate the concept---and the power---of
supersymmetry, the possible ways to break supersymmetry, and the dynamical
generation of small scales. We then describe how this theoretical machinery
helps shape our perception of what physics beyond the electroweak scale might
be.
