This book presents the theory of the linearization method as applied to the problem of steady-state and periodic motions of continuous media. The author proves infinite-dimensional analogues of Lyapunov's theorems on stability, instability, and conditional stability for a large class of continuous media. In addition, semigroup properties for the linearized Navier-Stokes equations in the case of an incompressible fluid are studied, and coercivity inequalities and completeness of a system of small oscillations are proved.