Simulink is an add-on product to MATLAB, which provides an interactive, graphical environment for modeling, simulating, and analyzing the dynamics of mathematical systems. Simulink provides a graphical user interface for building linear and nonlinear models as block diagrams. Custom and user-defined blocks are collected in libraries and made available to produce continuous-time, sampled-time, or hybrid models that are ready to be simulated.

Given its strong interactive nature, Simulink is often used in academic courses where the main aim is to disentangle the mathematics that describe complex natural phenomena. This software provides the user with frequent feedback, an easy and tunable interface, and a deep integration with MATLAB--all essential features in academics and research.

This book is aimed at undergraduate students, and is written in an informal and pedagogical style. It successfully shows how it is possible to program Simulink without any prior knowledge of programming. The ease of modeling is clear, as are the means for transitioning from some classical physical systems to ready-to-run models. Topics range from finite difference equation systems to numerical integration algorithms and time-step simulation. The final chapter offers some advanced overviews on mathematical transformations and chaotic and partial differential equation-based systems. In support of these arguments, the author provides a fair amount of examples.

The book does not have serious problems. It definitely succeeds in putting Simulink into the right context. My only concern is the necessity of this book in a market where the Web could suffice to freely provide (even if in a chaotic manner) the same arguments.

Generally, the description of the examples is appreciable; Gray takes the reader through his experience with Simulink, even in elementary tasks (for example, pressing a button or dragging a block). This is acceptable for students and newbies. On the other hand, some chapters (for example, chapter 5) explain the mathematics in what is probably a uselessly complex manner that fails to keep the reader’s attention. In these cases, there are few examples; newbies will most likely skip the chapter. Overall, the alternating feelings of easiness and complexity made for a puzzling reading experience.

Finally, this book might be appropriate for beginners who do not have the initiative to search for the information on the Web. It offers a good tutorial of Simulink for these readers.