Four Laws That Drive the Universe (Hardcover)

by Peter Atkins (Author)
Key Phrases: cold sink, pure reactants, hot source, The Second Law, The First Law, The Third Law (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I found it an enjoyable and informative read- a worthwhile attempt to popularize a cornerstone subject of modern science without trivializing it at the same time."--Chemistry World
"A wonderful book that I wish I had read at university."--Marcus Chown, New Scientist
"Highly recommended for all levels." J. A. Bartz, Choice
"The lucid text and clear figures offer readers a firm understanding of energy and entropy."--Science


Product Description
The laws of thermodynamics drive everything that happens in the universe. From the sudden expansion of a cloud of gas to the cooling of hot metal, and from the unfurling of a leaf to the course of life itself--everything is moved or restrained by four simple laws. They establish fundamental concepts such as temperature and heat, and reveal the arrow of time and even the nature of energy itself.
Written by Peter Atkins, one of the worlds leading authorities on thermodynamics, this powerful and compact introduction explains what these four laws are and how they work, using accessible language and virtually no mathematics. Guiding the reader a step at a time, Atkins begins with Zeroth (so named because the first two laws were well established before scientists realized that a third law, relating to temperature, should precede them--hence the jocular name zeroth), and proceeds through the First, Second, and Third Laws, offering a clear account of concepts such as the availability of work and the conservation of energy. Atkins ranges from the fascinating theory of entropy (revealing how its unstoppable rise constitutes the engine of the universe), through the concept of free energy, and to the brink, and then beyond the brink, of absolute zero.
C.P. Snow once remarked that not knowing the second law of thermodynamics is like never having read a work by Shakespeare. This brief but brilliant book introduces general readers to one of the cornerstones of modern science, four laws that are as integral to the well-educated mind as such great dramatic works as Hamlet or Macbeth.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (September 27, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0199232369
• ISBN-13: 978-0199232369
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #21,729 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #2 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Engineering > Chemical > Thermodynamics
  #4 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Engineering > Materials Science > Thermodynamics
  #5 in	Books > Science > Physics > Dynamics > Thermodynamics

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Elegant, Accessible and Charming, October 31, 2007

By	G. Poirier (Orleans, ON, Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This little book (124 pages of main text) contains an absolute gold mine of information on thermodynamics. With a minimum amount of mathematics, this captivating field is extremely well summarized and presented in a most elegant prose. Very little space is devoted to historical background, resulting in a book that is dense with scientific detail. As with most such books, some parts are a bit tough going and may need to be read more than once (as I did) for the points presented to better sink in. The author is truly gifted in explaining potentially difficult concepts, rendering them lucid, well-described and even quite exciting. Many practical examples are presented to illustrate the application of many (what many would call) very abstract concepts. Because of the very technical quantitative nature of its contents, I believe that this charming book can best be enjoyed by serious science buffs, by university students who would like an excellent complement to their main thermodynamics texts, and by scientists who would like a refresher on a subject that they loved in university but may never have used since.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A science gem, December 2, 2007

By	J. Price "Science reader" (New England) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This little book is a gem - concise, bright, and (very) valuable. It is a model of what serious science or technical writing intended for a wide audience should be. Concepts are introduced deliberately, with adequate explanation and lucid examples. There is just enough math to make you want more. I am going to take a guess that a part of the reason this book is so satisfying is that Atkins, unlike some of his famous peers, had a reader in mind as he puts the words down on paper.

Atkins makes classical thermodynamics intelligible and interesting. I only wish that this little book had been around when I was trying to learn these concepts in college.

16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book For The Non-Scientist, October 25, 2007

By	Oliver P. Cornell (Granite Bay, California United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you want to understand the laws of thermodynamics and willing to put some effort into it, then this is the book for you. Every culturally literate individual needs to know about this subject area. Peter Atkins has been writing in this area for a long time, so he really does know of what he writes. It's a little book; very easy to carry around and re-read as time permits.