The second edition maintains the same objectives as the first edition. In fact, its intention to be used as a textbook has been enhanced by the clearer explanations and the addition of problem sets at the end of the chapters. These improvements are based on more than 20 years of teaching the subject by the two new coauthors to both graduate and undergraduate students. The text assumes only a general background in physics and calculus. It proceeds from the fundamental topics of stresses and strains (Chapters 1–3) and then moves on to more advanced and specific topics in mechanical properties of ceramics. Some of these topics are still under development, but the greater portion are quite mature since they were developed from the 1960s through 1996 when the first edition came out. While other textbooks may concentrate on elastic, viscoelastic, or plastic deformation, this text clearly emphasizes fracture behavior, a topic most important for the structural applications of brittle ceramics.