This leading book in the field focuses on what materials specifications and design are most effective based on function and actual load-carrying capacity. Written in an accessible style, it emphasizes the basics, such as design, equilibrium, material behavior and geometry of deformation in simple structures or machines. Readers will also find a thorough treatment of stress, strain, and the stress-strain relationships. These topics are covered before the customary treatments of axial loading, torsion, flexure, and buckling.