This book is based on the author&rsquo;s varied experience:<br />&bull; Missile design and management at RAFAEL, the Israeli Armament De- velopment Authority,<br />&bull; Teaching and research projects carried out by his graduate students and himself in Israel (Technion and Tel Aviv universities), the US (University of California, Berkeley) and Canada (Mc-Gill University),<br />&bull; His experience as consultant in Israel for 34 start-ups and high-tech companies.<br />Through his courses the author provided his students the foundation for future careers, as many of them have become leading figures in Israeli high- tech industries.<br />The book is structured as a textbook for students in Mechanical or Aero- nautical engineering, but it can also be used as a reference book for engineers working in related fields.