Review of The Finite Element Method for Solid and Structural Mechanics, 6th Edition, by O. C. Zienkiewicz and R. L. Taylor

The 6th edition of the classic text on The Finite Element Method by O. C. Zienkiewicz has come a long way since it was published first in 1967 by McGraw-Hill, Berkshire, England. The original 272 pages of text on The Finite Element Method in Structural and Continuum Mechanics written in collaboration with Y. K. Cheung, University of Hong Kong, has increased more than six-fold and turned into a comprehensive treatment comprised of three substantial volumes of more than 600 pages each: • The FEM: Its Basis & Fundamentals by Zienkiewicz, Taylor & Zhu • The FEM for Solid & Structural Mechanics by Zienkiewicz & Taylor • The FEM for Fluid Dynamics by Zienkiewicz, Taylor & Nithiarasu This review is limited to the first two volumes of the sixth edition with focus on the second volume because of the interest and background of the reviewer. The first volume on The FEM: Its Basis and Fundamentals of FEM sets the stage for linear applications. Although introductory in nature, this volume is not a text book in the usual sense of classroom use with homework assignments and solution manuals. It is a powerful review of current findings, with numerous historical anecdotes and references to recent and past publications at the end of each of the 19 chapters. Among the classical topics on finite-element approximations in 1D, 2D, and 3D, the first volume addresses mixed element formulations, error estimates, PUM approximations and extended finite-element methods as well as time discretization methods. The second volume on The FEM for Solid and Structural Mechanics contains 19 chapters and two appendices. Roughly speaking, Chapters 1, 2, and 3 set the stage for nonlinear analysis of solids in Chapters 4, 5, and 6 which deal with nonlinear material behavior, nonlinear geometric problems and the combination of these two sources of nonlinearity. Chapter 4 provides a concise