Book excerpt: This applied and comprehensive book combines topical coverage of both System Dynamics and Automatic Controls in one text, resulting in a pedagogically sound presentation of both subjects that can be used in this standard two-course sequence. It is thorough and complete, with, according to one reviewer, a "tremendous number of interesting practice problems covering a broad range of areas, giving the instructor significant choice and flexibility" in teaching the material. The book also has a wealth of worked-out, real-world examples, with every step clearly shown and explained. Cumulative examples that build through succeeding chapters demonstrate the stages of system modeling, from initial steps - which include the important but often omitted physical modeling process - through mathematical analysis to design realization. The result is a new and unified presentation of system dynamics and control, founded on a wide range of systems (mechanical, electrical, electromechanical - including MEMS, fluid, thermal, and chemical), with a common state-space approach.