Theory of Vibrations with Applications (5th Edition) | 
 enlarge | Authors: William T. Thomson, Marie Dillon Dahleh
Publisher: Prentice Hall
Category: Book
List Price: $154.00
Buy New: $90.74
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Avg. Customer Rating:  12 reviews
Sales Rank: 19246
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 5
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 534
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.1
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 7.1 x 1
ISBN: 013651068X
Dewey Decimal Number: 620.3
EAN: 9780136510680
ASIN: 013651068X
Publication Date: August 17, 1997
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Condition: Brand New Book 5TH US edition. Same as Amazon.com description.
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Product Description
A thorough treatment of vibration theory and its engineering applications, from simple degree to multi degree-of-freedom system. Focuses on the physical aspects of the mathematical concepts necessary to describe the vibration phenomena. Provides many example applications to typical problems faced by practicing engineers. Includes a chapter on computer methods, and an accompanying disk with four basic Fortran programs covering most of the calculations encountered in vibration problems.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 7 more reviews...
 Very good book if you are willing to put effort May 22, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This review is for the paperback fifth edition of this book.
Alright, I have read so many negative reviews of this book here. So even though this book was recommended elsewhere I was slightly apprehensive in buying it. I have read only the first 2 chapters, but I am so overwhelmed that I thought I will write a review.
My rating: excellent. This book will make you think and understand the subject. But it expects a certain level of mathematical and engineering maturity (not higher than undergraduate). The problem sets are excellent. When you sit and finish through the problems you really understand the topic. Lot of times I read the text twice and made sure that I understood the topic before starting the problems. But then I had to come back and refer again and surely I will figure out some missing information. It takes time but is very rewarding. Most of all this text doesn't assume that the readers are dumb - it expects that the readers can think.
What do I mean that the book expects a certain mathematical and engineering maturity? I will give a couple of examples. In the introductory chapter it has a small section on decomposition of periodic motion into Fourier series. There it expects for you to know how to integrate Integral(cos mx cos nx dx) or that Cos A cos B = 1/2[Cos(A+B) - cos(A-B)]. In second chapter to find the effective mass of a simply supported beam with a point load in the middle, it expects you to know
that the deflection of the beam can be written as y=y_max(3(x/l)-4(x/l)^3). I mean it will straight away write y=ymax... etc. No other intermediate steps. It will also just integrate this y_max(3(x/l)-4(x/l)^3) with respect to x and write the result as 0.4857 y_max or whatever value it is. It will expect that you know how to solve differential equation into characteristic equation and particular solution. It gives a proof for solving md^x/dt^2 + cdx/dt + kx = 0 but it is better for you to have some background in differential equation (again not more that undergraduate level) to fully understand it.
What do I mean that the book will make you think? For example when discussing energy methods on simple harmonic motion, it will say that due to conservation of energy T1+U1 = T2+U2 where 1 and 2 denotes two different positions of the vibrating body. By choosing 1 to be the static equilibrium position and choosing U1=0 as the reference potential energy, and 2 be the position corresponding to max disp, we have T1+0 = 0+U2. Now it says that if the system is undergoing harmonic motion then, T1 and U2 are max values and the preceding equation give rise to T_max = U_max. And that this equation will lead directly to natural frequency. It is up to you to figure out that for simple harmonic motion, x is given by x = A
sin(wt+phi), v = Aw cos(wt+phi), a = -Aw^2 sin(wt+phi). So when v = 0 it implies that cos (wt+phi) = 0 and that implies that sin(wt+phi) is +- 1 so x is max (also conversely). So T_max = 1/2*m*A*w^2 , since cos (wt+phi)=+-1. Also U_max = 1/2*k*A^2, since sin(wt+phi)= +-1. So T_max = U_max gives w^2 = k/m. (We are actually eliminating sin and cos terms by taking the max values).
In short, a very very good book for some one who has an undergraduate background in engineering and who is willing to think and put the effort. If you want a quick read or if you are looking for an easy book then this is probably not for you. But remember that you can only learn if you put the effort. There are a few typos for the answers at the back of the book, but that doesn't diminish the book's worth.
There are 3 typos I found in answers to odd problems at the back of the book. I have finished problems of only chapter 1.
Corrections for odd number answers at back:
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1.3) d^x/dt^2 _ max = 287.1 what is given is 278.1
1.11) x(t) = 1/2 + 4/pi^2( cos w1t + 1/3^2 cos 3w1t + 1/5^2 cos 5w1t + ...)
(what is given is sin w1t for the first harmonic term)
1.16) a_o = 2/3 (what is given is a_o = 1/3).
Again I may be wrong in the typos. Kindly double check them before using it.
 Terrible book January 30, 2008
The coverage is spotty at best, very much like "swiss cheese" as another reviewer pointed out. Their are very few examples, and they are poorly worked out. In addition, the exercises somehow expect you to know material never even covered in the text and are nigh unsolvable unless you already have experience with vibration theory or a copy of the solution manual (also very poorly written).
It is extremely difficult for beginners and not terribly useful as a reference either. Overall one of the worst texts I've ever had to use.
Swiss Cheese October 25, 2006
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The topics covered are many but the depth is zero and the examples are about 90% too short. It doesn't really help to get a picture and a solution without intermediate steps or even halfhearted explanation. This book is completely inaccessible to a student and will sit useless on the shelf as $130 bucks wasted. Disgusting.
This is the worst textboook I have ever read October 17, 2006
This is literally the most useless text book I have ever encountered (and I really thought I had read the worst). It is COMPLETELY USELESS.It doesnt explain basic concepts and examples skip mutliple steps on their way to the solution. And by multiple I mean I cant follow them at all. Please, if you are a teacher, DO NOT use this book to teach Junior Meche's. Everyone in my class thinks this book sucks!
NOT FOR A INTRO COURSE September 6, 2006
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Posibly the worst textbook i have ever encountered. Not enough examples, Limited explinations not suited for a introductory course. It's hard to imagine a publisher would have continued printing this to a 5th ed.
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