Grapplingwiththefirstandsecondlawsofthermodynamicscantesttheintellectualmettleofeventhemostdedicatedstudentofthephysicalsciences.Approachingthesubjectforthefirsttimemayraisemorequeriesanddoubtsthanareusuallyhandledinthebasic,straightforwardtextbook.Basedonaseriesoflecturesdeliveredto500sophomoreengineeringstudentsatRensselaerPolytechnicInstitute,Dr.VanNeer’sclear,lucidtreatmentisreadilycomprehensiblebyundergraduate-levelscienceandengineeringstudents.Hislanguageisinformal,hisexamplesarevividandlively,hisperspectiveisfresh.Thisbook,acompaniontoabasictextbook,discussesthermodynamics,atopicofprofoundimportanceinthestudyofphysics,inamannerwhichelucidatesfundamentalconceptsanddemonstratestheirpracticalapplicability.Intheseincreasinglyenergy-consciousandcostlytimes,astraditionalenergysourcesarebeingdepletedandrevolutionarynewsourcesarecontemplated,appreciatingtheconsequencesofthelawsofthermodynamicsismorethanafascinatingavenueofintellectualinquiry:itisapragmaticconcernimperativetoall--students,scientists,engineers,technicians,politicians,businessmen,andanyonefacingtheenergychallengesofthefuture.Hereishelpunderstandingconceptswhichwillproveall-importantinthenextcentury.Dr.H.C.VanNessisadistinguishedprofessorofchemicalengineeringatRensselaerPolytechnicInstituteandco-authorofseveraltextbooksonthermodynamics.Heisanunsurpassedasanexpertinthefield.
