An introductory engineering textbook by an award-winning MIT professor that covers the history of dynamics and the dynamical analyses of mechanical, electrical, and electromechanical systems.

This introductory textbook offers a distinctive blend of the modern and the historical, seeking to encourage an appreciation for the history of dynamics while also presenting a framework for future learning. The text presents engineering mechanics as a unified field, emphasizing dynamics but integrating topics from other disciplines, including design and the humanities.

The book begins with a history of mechanics suitable for an undergraduate overview. Subsequent chapters cover such topics as three-dimensional kinematics; the direct approach, also known as vectorial mechanics or the momentum approach; the indirect approach, also called Lagrangian dynamics or variational dynamics; an expansion of the momentum and Lagrangian formulations to extended bodies; lumped-parameter electrical and electromagnetic devices; and equations of motion for one-dimensional continuum models. The book is unique in covering both Lagrangian dynamics and vibration analysis. The principles covered are relatively few and easy to articulate; the examples are rich and broad. Summary tables, often in the form of flowcharts, appear throughout. End-of-chapter problems begin at the elementary level and become increasingly difficult. Appendixes provide theoretical and mathematical support for the main text.