The Laws of Thermodynamics

Review from previous edition It takes not only a great writer but a great scientist with a lifetime's experience to explains such a notoriously tricky area with absolute economy and precision, not to mention humour.'Books of the Year, Observer.His engaging account…the lucid figures offer readers a firm understanding of energy and entropy.‘ScienceConcise, well-written, engaging and carefully structured... an enjoyable and informative read.'Chemistry WorldPeter Atkins’s account of the core concepts of thermodynamics is beautifully crafted.‘Simon Mitton, THESA brief and invigoratingly limpid guide to the laws of thermodynamics.'Saturday GuardianAtkins’s systematic foundations should go a long way towards easing confusion about the subject…an engaging book, just the right length (and depth) for an absorbing, informative read.‘Mark Haw, Nature`[Atkins’] ultra-compact guide to thermodynamics [is] a wonderful book that I wish I had read at university.‘New Scientist

Peter Atkins is the author of about 70 books, including the world-renowned and widely used Physical Chemistry, now in its 10th edition. He won the Grady-Stack award for science journalism in 2016. After graduating from the University of Leicester and a post-doctoral year in the University of California, Los Angeles, he returned to Oxford in 1965 as Fellow of Lincoln College and University Lecturer (later Professor) in physical chemistry. He retired in 2007, but continues to write and lecture worldwide.