The 2nd Law: Energy, Chaos, and Form

P. W. Atkins

Henry Holt and Company, Aug 15, 1994 - Science - 216 pages

All natural change is subject to one law. It's the second law of thermodynamics. In this volume, the acclaimed chemist and science writer P. W. Atkins shows how this single, simple principle of energy transformation accounts for all natural change. Moving from the steam engine to the nuclear age, the narrative is full of vivid examples, ideas, and images--but virtually no mathematics.

What people are saying

The second law

User Review  - Not Available - Book Verdict

With this volume on thermodynamics, Scientific American launches its new line of paperbacks, which are essentially softcover releases of popular hardcover titles from the Scientific American library ...

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - hcubic - LibraryThing

One of Atkins' best books. A fundamental rethinking of the second law, with excellent graphics to illustrate.

About the author

P. W. Atkins, a lecturer in physical chemistry at Oxford University, is the author of numerous books, including Creation Revisited.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The 2nd Law: Energy, Chaos, and Form; Scientific American library
• Author: P. W. Atkins
• Edition: illustrated, revised
• Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, 1994
• ISBN: 0716760061, 9780716760061
• Length: 216 pages
• Subjects: Science / Physics / General