Biological Thermodynamics [Paperback]

Donald T. Haynie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 12, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0521795494 | ISBN-13: 978-0521795494 | Edition: 1

Biological Thermodynamics provides an introduction to the study of energy transformations for students of the biological sciences. Donald Haynie uses an informal writing style to introduce this core subject in a manner that will appeal to biology and biochemistry undergraduate students. The emphasis of the text is placed on understanding basic concepts and developing problem-solving skills throughout the text. The level of mathematical complexity is kept to a minimum. Each chapter provides numerous examples taken from different areas of biochemistry, as well as extensive exercises to aid understanding. Topics covered include energy and its transformation, the First Law of Thermodynamics, the Second Law of Thermodynamics, Gibbs Free Energy, statistical thermodynamics, binding equilibria and reaction kinetics, and a survey of the most exciting areas of biological thermodynamics today, particularly the origin of life on Earth.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In my opinion, the author has covered a traditionally boring field with vivid description and interesting examples. My overall impression is that this book is comprehensive, illustrative and up-to-date...I would certainly recommend it to my graduate students." Professor Yigong Shi, Princeton University

"This book can be a valuable addition to the library of many students." Journal of Food Biochemistry

Book Description

Biological Thermodynamics provides an introduction to the study of energy transformations for students of the biological sciences. Don Haynie uses an informal writing style to introduce this core subject in a manner which will appeal to biology and biochemistry undergraduate students and be relevant to their studies. The emphasis is on understanding basic concepts and developing problem-solving skills throughout the text, but mathematical complexity is kept to a minimum. Each chapter comprises numerous examples taken from different areas of biochemistry, as well as extensive exercises to aid understanding.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 396 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1 edition (March 12, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521795494
• ISBN-13: 978-0521795494
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,481,802 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting book, July 19, 2004

By 

Surviving Modern Scientist (Buenos Aires University, Argentina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Biological Thermodynamics (Paperback)

I teach a course in thermodynamics for college students in biology, as such, I thought the book could be useful, perhaps the new textbook for my course.
Possitive things:
* you will find real thermodynamics, biology and also historical notes in the book.
* there are not too many books that blend biology and thermodynamics in forms acceptable to biologist and physicists, this one does.
* it has an interesting selection of subjects

Problems:
* most of the time it has TOO many words, for those that like concise presentations, it is a problem. There are no evident forms to distinguish essential from accesory
* there is a bias towards bio-chemistry that introduces some additional difficulties for people with other backgrounds

My recommendation to the students
Main text: Kondepudi and Prigogine. Modern Thermodynamics
(extremely clear, concise and with historical notes but little biology)
Second text: Biological Thermodynamics by Haynie

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book might become a classic, January 9, 2002

By 

Karen Petrosyan (Louisiana, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Biological Thermodynamics (Hardcover)

I'm a Ph.D. student in computational modeling specializing in applications in physics and bioinformatics. My bachelor's degree is in biophysics. I have read numerous biosciences books and texbooks by leading authors. In my opinion this book is one of the best biophysics books I have ever read. I found this book accessible, which is important for students, and yet engaging. The author provides broad coverage of the subject and thoroughly explains basic concepts. For instance, the first law is covered in its own chapter, as is the second law. There are two chapters of Gibbs free energy, with many practical applications, and one on statistical thermodynamics. The chapter on kinetics is an appropriate complement to a book whose main subject is thermodynamics. The final chapter reads like a popular book, introducing students to a number of very interesting and exciting areas for research. This is truly a unique textbook. My guess is that this book might become a classic.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Forefront of its field, October 17, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Biological Thermodynamics (Paperback)

Forefront of its field
This review refers to the second edition. Professor Haynie brings to Biological Thermodynamics unusual literary flair and insight with demonstrated technical expertise in physics and biology. The book is a pleasure to read. I wondered whether the first edition could succeed as anything other than a monograph, or a supplementary text at best, but now a second edition is available. When I Googled the book I learned that it has been adopted for study in mechanical engineering courses in the University of California system and for biochemistry courses in Germany and Sweden. It is also cited in an economics paper in the peer-reviewed literature. The authors of that paper may have appreciated Professor Haynie's adaption of Richard Feynman's comments on the first law of thermodynamics: instead of Dennis the Menace playing with toy blocks of energy, we have a store clerk working with pennies of energy.
I think it is fair to say that Biological Thermodynamics has helped to create a new area of emphasis in undergraduate study, one that complements the work of the Gibbs Society in biophysics research. The interdisciplinary nature of Biological Thermodynamics is very much what is needed today at the undergraduate level: a deep sense of the relatedness of formerly distinct fields in science and engineering, and many examples of how the thinking in one traditional degree program influences, informs and inspires the thinking in another. Professor Haynie is not a recognized expert in the origin of life. Nevertheless, his book raises a number of provocative questions on the subject, and he provides students with the fundamental concepts and skills needed to appreciate and evaluate different hypotheses. His book is remarkably up-to-date, with numerous examples drawn from the primary literature of the past few years, and many references and recommendations for further reading. I am delighted to recommend this book as a text for students and a refresher for professors.