The Laws of Thermodynamics: A Very Short Introduction [Paperback]

The field of thermodynamics sprung up in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, as the industrial revolution heated up and there was an increasing need to understand the steam engine as the driving force behind almost all of the technological development of that era. Throughout the nineteenth century most of the field was refined and set up on the intellectual foundations that we would be familiar with even today, and this very short introduction sums up the most important aspects of thermodynamics. This book is intended for the general audience as an accessible and minimally technical introduction to the laws of thermodynamics, as presently understood. The understanding of these laws has evolved over time, and especially with the advent of statistical physics they had been put on a wholly different foundation. However, this book does not delve at all into the statistical mechanics and introduces the laws of thermodynamics in their own right as a self-contained intellectual structure. It is actually quite remarkable that these laws have survived more or less intact all the incredible advances that have shaken the twentieth century physics - relativity, statistical mechanics, quantum mechanics, etc. It is therefore very likely that whatever the final theory of the laws of nature ends up looking like, the laws of thermodynamics will still have its place in the intellectual underpinnings of science. As such, these laws could be rightfully considered an indispensible part of every modern education, and every person who aims to be considered scientifically literate would be wise to acquaint him/herself with the basic understanding of them. In that regard this short book is an excellent source of information. The only shortcoming that I could think of is the very cursory coverage of some more modern applications, like those that pertain to biology. Even so, it is a good introduction for people who just need a meat-and-potatoes understanding of thermodynamics.

This is a terrific book, one that I would recommend to someone without a scientific background who just want to know a bit about thermodynamics, to a student (including high school students) just starting to learn about this subject, to graduate students who know quite a lot about it and even to teachers of the subject. I say this as one who has experienced the subject from all of these vantage points. I am a retired scientist (materials), but I still retain an interest in many scientific subjects, but now from a more general viewpoint. I have studied thermodynamics both as an undergraduate and graduate student, I have used it professionally, and even used it in a graduate course that I taught. I therefore think that I can make this wholehearted recommendation from a reasonable vantage point, or more accurately vantage points.

Professor Atkins begins with the zeroth law (and why this is not the first law) and a discussion of temperature. Then it is on to the first law and the concept of energy, the second law and the concept of entropy, the concept of free energy, and finally the third law and attaining absolute zero. All this material is treated in a clear manner, without the differential equations and derivations of equations that can make thermodynamics a complex subject. Instead, the reader is treated to an excellent discussion of what the laws mean and why they are so important. Even though I felt well versed in the subject I learned a lot and found a lot to think about. For instance, Professor Atkins provides the best explanation of enthalpy that I have ever come across. Most books just introduce it without going into why it was developed and where it fits into the general scheme of things, but Professor Atkins rectifies this. Likewise, for the superb explanations of the Helmholtz and Gibbs free energies, and other topics such the thermodynamic temperature scale. Professor Atkins also introduces subjects such as applications to biology and the concept of negative temperature, but these are just glimpses into these subjects.

This is not a deep difficult book, it is easy to read and focused on teaching the reader important ideas, rather than dealing with them rigorously or in depth (nor would this be possible in less than 100 pages). With this book being only 100-pages long, and with a focus on concepts, there is little in the way of problem solving and the development of the myriad of thermodynamic equations that have been developed to solve engine and chemical problems. As such, this book is not a substitute for a thermodynamics text, rather it is a great adjunct to one.

I can think of no better source of information on the laws of thermodynamics, either as adjunct to a more standard text, or as a standalone book for someone who just wants to know what thermodynamics is all about, but does want to delve into the subject as deeply as one would in a complete college text.

I've ordered many books in thermodynamics to see how the subject is taught and to get a deep understanding.
This book is one of the best introductory science books I have ever held in my hands. Peter Atkins is a master at finding
lucid analogies (this shows up when he describes enthalpy and free energy).
I do not agree with the reviewer who criticises the book for not discussing some advanced applications like biology. This is a very short introduction for goodness sake!
However the reviewer who complained thathe didnt always understand the English does get my sympathy. The style is pithy, and it is perhaps because I have already read quite a few other books that I havent been put off by this.

I also recommend his books on chemistry which are also very well written. For example
If you feel you never quite understood some of the abstract concepts of thermodynamics, then this one is for you (if you like a terse book), or you could get the more leisurely introduction by John Fenn Engines, Energy, And Entropy: A Thermodynamics Primer. The latter is more geared to the discussion of engines.

Do not think you will be ready to sit exams on thermodynamics by just reading this book though, it's just meant to get you over some conceptual hurdles or to complement your other readings.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 11 reviews  4.7 out of 5 stars