This is an updated and improved version of a finite element text long noted for its practical applications approach, its readability, and ease of use. Students will find in this textbook a thorough grounding of the mathematical principles underlying the popular, analytical methods for setting up a finite element solution based on those mathematical equations. It quickly bridges that knowledge to a host of real-world applications from structural design to problems in fluid mechanics and thermodynamics. Professional engineers will benefit from the introduction to the many useful applications of finite element analysis, and will gain a better understanding of its limitations and special uses.