The book gives a description of the failure phenomena of ceramic materials under mechanical loading, the methods to determine their properties, and the principles for material selection. The book presents fracture mechanical and statistical principles and their application to describe the scatter of strength and lifetime, while special chapters are devoted to creep behaviour, multiaxial failure criteria and thermal shock behaviour. XXXXXXX Neuer Text Describing how ceramic materials fracture and fail under mechanical loading, this book provides methods for determining the properties of ceramics, and gives criteria for selecting ceramic materials for particular applications. It also examines the fracture-mechanical and statistical principles and their use in understanding the strength and durability of ceramics. Special chapters are devoted to creep behavior, criteria for multiaxial failure, and behavior under thermal shock. Readers will gain insight into the design of reliable ceramic components.