'This is an exceptional book on the subject, and for more than one reason. First, it is extremely well written. The authors are very clearly talented writers. The text is thought provoking, original and crystal clear (no pun is intended). Second, the book is quite attractive to the eye. It is full with pictures and illustrations, and their captions are very detailed. Only from looking at the figures and reading the captions one can learn a great deal. The important equations appear in a 'shaded' box. The whole appearance of the book is very inviting to read.' Dan Givoli, Expressions: The Journal of the International Association of Computational Mechanics