Description

The four laws that do not drive the universe: elements of thermodynamics for the curious and intelligent. The second purpose of Ben-Naim’s book is to explain thermodynamics and show its relationship to information theory. This explanation makes the present book worth reading in its own right. Ben-Naim’s discussion of the information basis of the second law is lucid and well worth reading.

This book provides a clear and mystery-free presentation of the central concepts in thermodynamics ? probability, entropy, Helmholtz energy and Gibbs energy. It presents the concepts of entropy, free energy and various formulations of the Second Law in a friendly, simple language. It is devoid of all kinds of fancy and pompous statements made by authors of popular science books who write on this subject.

The book focuses on the Four Laws of Thermodynamics. As it is said in the dedication page, this book is addressed to readers who might have already been exposed to Atkins’ book having a similar title. It challenges both the title, and the contents of Atkins’ book, Four Laws That Drive The Universe. One can glean from the title of this new book that the author’s views are diametrically opposed to the views of Atkins.

The book is addressed to any curious and intelligent reader. It aims to tickle, and hopefully to satisfy your curiosity. It also aims to challenge your gray matter, and to enrich your knowledge by telling you some facts and ideas regarding the Four Laws of Thermodynamics.