The authors succeed in presenting a “global view of the entire modelling and simulation cycle” (preface) in a readable way suited to students being initiated into the field. Each chapter has a copious bibliography of books and research papers, the latest being from 1991.

In chapters 1 through 5 the book covers the standard topics for modeling and simulating systems described by ordinary differential equations. The abundant use of easily understood examples makes the book student-friendly. Simulation by analog, hybrid, and digital computers are each considered, although the treatment of the hybrid computer is extremely brief (two pages).

Chapter 6 is a survey of newer developments in hardware and software that have appeared in commercial simulation systems in the 1980s. For the ordinary user of simulation technology, interested primarily in the system being simulated and familiar with only one simulation hardware and software system, this chapter may be of interest in that it provides an overall survey of the forest of available simulation software. For the professional simulationist who reads one or two technical journals, occasionally attends a conference in the field, and browses the advertising literature, this chapter will add little to his or her knowledge. The bibliography attached to this chapter may be useful, however.

Chapter 7 is an 80-page collection of case studies complete with model development, programming in SIMCOS or SIMCON (languages developed by the authors), and some graphic results of simulation runs. The variety of engineering case studies is appealing to a teacher: a hydraulic plant, a distillation column, drug pharmacokinetics, a static and a vibrating cantilever beam, model-reference adaptive control, and a diesel engine.

The language of the book is “international English,” easily understood even by those whose native language is not English. The production, layout, and illustrations show good preparation and editing. I would recommend the text to a teacher who wants a simple, basic text that he or she plans to supplement with additional material according to the particular emphases desired. The copious bibliographies at the end of each chapter will also be valuable to both students and teachers. A far more thorough, but also much thicker and more expensive, pair of textbooks covering the same areas is by Cellier [1,2].