Reviews for An introduction to thermal physics

The average rating for An introduction to thermal physics based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2012-11-28 00:00:00 Kevin Fry This might be my favorite physics text book ever (on any subject). It's very readable - strikes a balance between big picture concepts and calculations. I also love how the book explains the connections between the microscopic description of statistical physics and macroscopic thermodynamics. (I wish I knew of a quantum mechanics text book that did this as well.) I used this book intensively while struggling through my graduate Stat Mech class (in retrospect, my undergraduate engineering oriented class on thermodynamics was not adequate preparation), and I'm not sure I would have made it through pancreas...? pathogen...? oh, Pathria... (whatever -- at the time I'm pretty sure it made me feel sick in various vital organs) without it. Although I haven't taught an entire class on thermal physics I have drawn on it heavily when teaching units on entropy and heat engines. In all honesty, I'm not sure how much my students appreciate this, but I at least still appreciate the insights I get! (If only I had found Schroeder's book on Quantum Field Theory as illuminating!) This book is geared towards advanced undergraduate physics majors, but like the Feynmen lectures, there are nuggets here that transcend the intended audience. Unlike the Feynmen lectures, this text is also helpful for solving actual problems. Highly recommended!

Review # 2 was written on 2011-08-03 00:00:00 Jim Stewart If properly used and properly read, this is an amazing text that goes beyond merely being a text in that it provides a fresh interpretational approach to thermodynamics. It, and the journal article that serves as the basis for most of chapter 3, deserve more recognition from researchers. Pedagogically, it has to be used properly, but if it is it really gets the basic ideas across quite well. It's taken me a few years to really make it effective in my classes, but it's been worth it.