Recreational Mechanics

There are two great attractions in my life: running and the study of engineering mechanics. Interestingly, the latter relates to mental discipline and the former to physical discipline. The competitive-running part spanned the greater part of my youth as a member of high school, college, and university intramural, and ending with a service team (army). After completing this competitive phase, my interest centered on noncompetitive recreational running (as a concession to aging legs) and a regimen of fairly vigorous walking. Conversely, my attraction with topics of a mechanical nature grew with my increasing maturity. Consequently, this book is devoted to combining these dual fascinations into a book with a rational title of Recreational Mechanics.