Continuum Mechanics (Dover Books on Physics) [Paperback]

A. J. M. Spencer (Author), Physics (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0486435946 | ISBN-13: 978-0486435947 | Publication Date: April 9, 2004 | Edition: Dover Ed

Undergraduate text opens with introductory chapters on matrix algebra, vectors and Cartesian tensors, and an analysis of deformation and stress; succeeding chapters examine laws of conservation of mass, momentum, and energy as well as the formulation of mechanical constitutive equations. 1992 edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications; Dover Ed edition (April 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486435946
• ISBN-13: 978-0486435947
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #58,147 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #31 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Physics > Mechanics

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excelent to get an introduction, October 12, 2010

By 

AB Tepole - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Continuum Mechanics (Dover Books on Physics) (Paperback)

The author in this book is really concise, but it is also very clear. It is not an excelent reference to specific issues you can have while dealing with continuum problems, but it certainly gives you a good idea of the concepts. The problems are insufficient, but, again, the strenght of the book is that summarizes the whole continuum theory in a hundred pages.
I bought it becuase I was taking a class that used continuum theory at some points and I had no background. Since it is a small book, I read some parts of it in a blink and ended up with the main notions.
Finally: it is cheap, it is really a good investment, you're going to get more of it than what you spend.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not for a beginner, September 3, 2009

By 

K. Kim - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Continuum Mechanics (Dover Books on Physics) (Paperback)

I purchased Continuum Mechanics by Spencer as a reference material for the first year gradate class on continuum mechanics. I got this book a month ahead just to get ready for the class. I think the book is wonderful particularly in regard to the intellectual depth of the author on the subject and his proficiency on the mathematics involved. But the very strength of the book may also be a huge drawback for particular audiences. The development of the concepts and the mathematics behind it virtually lacks consideration for beginners. Although I could follow significant portion of the mathematics and language presented, I could not form a coherent understanding of the broader concept. Fortunately, as I now actually get lectures in class, things start falling onto the big picture. Once I'm done with the class, I think this book will serve me better. But as of now, I'm going to stick with Schaum's Outline, which I purchased also from Amazon just after getting this book, as a reference and source of problem sets. If you are an undergrad or first year grad student getting ready for your first continuum mechanics class, get Schaum's Outline instead. You might also want to consider purchasing Schaum's Outline on Linear Algebra for review.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good for an introductory mechanics book, April 19, 2011

By 

Lance C. Hibbeler (Urbana, IL, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Continuum Mechanics (Dover Books on Physics) (Paperback)

Continuum mechanics (CM) is a beautiful and infinitely useful branch of mathematics, but the learning curve is relatively steep. Once you scale the cliff, you are able to do simply amazing things and gain a deeper appreciation for the deformation of materials. However, most textbooks do not make for decent guides- you need a competent professor to show you the ropes (which I fortunately had). CM is just one of those subjects where you need a lot of practice and study to get good at it.

My perspective and experience might make me slightly biased, so keep that in mind. Spencer's book is not like most. While not perfect, he does a remarkable job of explaining all of the basics of what you need to know to do CM, and then teases with things more complicated (the rabbit hole goes very deep- I promise). Rather than obstinately sticking to either Gibbs notation (boldface vectors and tensors) or indicial notation, he moves between both, and sometimes presents equations in both forms. The figures are as simple as they need to be to get the point across (and no simpler). The important high points are in the book- vector/tensor analysis, kinematics, balance laws, and constitutive equations. The most fleshed out examples come from Spencer's own research, finite elasticity, which is a great demonstration of all of the important concepts.

The length and price certainly are right. Until something better comes along, I would recommend this as a good introductory book, probably supplemented with the Schaum's Outline. The book by Chadwick, also cheap and thin, isn't a good starter book- it's outstanding for quick reference once you know how to talk the talk.