Book excerpt: This book is the 3rd edition of an introduction to modern computational mechanics based on the finite element method. This third edition is largely extended, adding many new examples to let the reader understand the principles better by performing calculations by hand, as well as numerical example to practice the finite element approach to engineering problems. The new edition comes together with a set of digital flash cards with questions and answers that improve learning success. Featuring over 100 more pages, the new edition will help students succeed in mechanics courses by showing them how to apply the fundamental knowledge they gained in the first years of their engineering education to more advanced topics. In order to deepen readers’ understanding of the equations and theories discussed, each chapter also includes supplementary problems. These problems start with fundamental knowledge questions on the theory presented in the respective chapter, followed by calculation problems. In total, over 80 such calculation problems are provided, along with brief solutions for each. Test your knowledge with questions and answers about the book in the Springer Nature Flashcards app.