Introduction to continuum mechanics for engineers / Ray M. Bowen

This paper presents a distinct and direct way to continuum mechanics for beginners in this field. It starts studying one-dimensional continua. Thus essential concepts are introduced without burdening by the mathematics of three-dimensional field formulations. A concise chapter on kinematics and a clearly arranged one on balance equations are following. The basis of mathematical description of material properties is established by treating a collection of examples concerning elasticity and viscoelasticity of the rate type of simple materials. An appendix on mathematics used closes the elaboration. The contents of the book are presented clear and careful with respect to the compilation and the mathematical presentation. How it is used in works on this field certain fundamentals are not discussed from the physical point of view: By which physical reasons authors prefer in the domain of Newtonian continuum mechanics rigid frames of reference in contradiction to the perception of general relativity? What physical concept or idea of measuring non-equilibrium temperatures shall be used? Does the dissipation inequality local in time hold in the more general case of retarded dissipation (fading memory), too? So the reader gets no reference to what is convention and what is necessity. (Zentralblatt)