Reviews (1)

Volume 6 - Feynman on Fundamentals, Kinetics & Heat
Recorded April/May 1962 Cal Tech

Cassette 1 - V1 Ch39 The Kinetic Theory of Gases
Cassette 2 - V1 Ch41 The Brownian Movement
Cassette 3 - V1 Ch42 Applications of Kinetic Theory
Cassette 4 - V1 Ch43 Diffusion
Cassette 5 - V1 Ch44 The Laws of Thermodynamics
Cassette 6 - V1 Ch45 Illustrations of Thermodynamics

There is something magical about hearing Richard Feynman's lectures on physics. Somehow he got an advance copy of the owners manual for the cosmos and sorted it out for we mortals. ... Read more

Book Description

Complex chemically reacting flow simulations are commonly employed to develop quantitative understanding and to optimize reaction conditions in systems such as combustion, catalysis, chemical vapor deposition, and other chemical processes. Although reaction conditions, geometries, and fluid flow can vary widely among the applications of chemically reacting flows, all applications share a need for accurate, detailed descriptions of the chemical kinetics occurring in the gas-phase or on reactive surfaces. Chemically Reacting Flow: Theory and Practice combines fundamental concepts in fluid mechanics and physical chemistry, assisting the student and practicing researcher in developing analytical and simulation skills that are useful and extendable for solving real-world engineering problems.

The first several chapters introduce transport processes, primarily from a fluid-mechanics point of view, incorporating computational simulation from the outset. The middle section targets physical chemistry topics that are required to develop chemically reacting flow simulations, such as chemical thermodynamics, molecular transport, chemical rate theories, and reaction mechanisms. The final chapters deal with complex chemically reacting flow simulations, emphasizing combustion and materials processing. Among other features, Chemically Reacting Flow: Theory and Practice:

-Advances a comprehensive approach to interweaving the fundamentals of chemical kinetics and fluid mechanics
-Embraces computational simulation, equipping the reader with effective, practical tools for solving real-world problems
-Emphasizes physical fundamentals, enabling the analyst to understand how reacting flow simulations achieve their results
-Provides a valuable resource for scientists and engineers who use Chemkin or similar software

Computer simulation of reactive systems is highly effective in the development, enhancement, and optimization of chemical processes. Chemically Reacting Flow helps prepare both students and professionals to take practical advantage of this powerful capability. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

best book on this subject
In my opinion this is the best book ever written on chemically reacting flow. Unlike many other books on this subject, it focuses on formulating models exactly and solving them using state-of-the-art computational methods. By "exactly" I mean models that attempt to simulate chemical kinetics and transport phenomena at the molecular level. The book is aimed at chemical engineering applications, and consequently it is limited to thermally compressible flows ( low Mach numbers). The problems at the end of the chapters are generally very good and frequently involve issues that arise in real research applications. My only quibble is that the chapter on reaction-rate theory focuses too much on QRRK methods, which were really superseded by RRKM theory about 50 years ago. ... Read more

Book Description

The main goal of this book is to describe in physical terms the peculiar features of "machines" having molecular dimensions that play the principal role in the most important biological processes, viz., energy transduction and enzyme catalysis. Since these molecular engines work with thermal, chemical, and mechanical energy, the appropriate framework to discuss them comes from thermodynamics and chemical kinetics. The book thus begins with a review of the thermodynamics and chemical kinetics. It then discusses the notion of molecular machines, and in particular, the problems associated with applying thermodynamics to small systems such as enzymes. The authors then turn to enzyme catalysis, discussing theoretical and experimental investigations of protein dynamics. The concluding chapter deals with energy transduction in biological membranes, focusing on ATP synthesis. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Fundamentals of biophysics in the deepest
This is one of the most thought provoking books on the fundamental issues of biophysics, including molecular machines, the relation between mechanics and statistics, and, ultimately, on the meaning of life itself.Everyonethinking deeply about basic biophysics should read it. ... Read more

Book Description

Numerical methods are indispensable tools in the analysis of complex fluid flows.This book focuses on computational techniques for high-speed gas flows, especially gas flows containing shocks and other steep gradients. The book decomposes complicated numerical methods into simple modular parts, showing how each part fits and how each method relates to or differs from others.The text beginswith a review of gasdynamics and computational techniques.Next comebasic principles of computational gasdynamics.The last two parts cover basic techniques and advanced techniques. Senior- and graduate-level students, especially in aerospace engineering, as well as researchers and practicing engineers, will find a wealth of invaluable information on high-speed gas flows in this text. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

there is no better book for both introduction and in detail
This book is a detailed account of the Eulerian numerical methods used for the solution of hyperbolic pde's such as the standard scalar conservation laws of fluid mechanics and gas dynamics. The book directly investigates gas dynamiocs rather than fluid dynamics although it has application there as well through the very successful Godunov method used for multiphase flow and compressible flow leading to shocks.

There are several parts: Part I: a lead in to gas dynamics, waves and scalar conservation laws as well as the Riemann problem; followed by Part II: Computational review covering the simplest aspects of numerical methods such as numerical discretisation and error, interpolation, piecewise functions; Part III: Gas Dynamics itself involving the CFL concdition, upwinding methods, artificial viscosity, linear and non-linear stability; Part IV: Methods of Gas dynamics, for scalar conservation laws and the Euler equations; Part V: advanced methods leading into flux avergaing, flux limited methods, flux corrected methods, hybrid methods and solution averaging.

The book deals mainly with numerical techniques for one dimension of space and time although there is a small chapter at the end for multidimensions. In this sense it is deficient, but it must be remembered that 1D methods must be mastered before considering the extension to 2 or 3 dimensions. This is a very detailed book leaving nothing out and explaining the techniques in great detail and in simple language without getting lost. Compare this with the far more difficult approach used by Leveque in his book: "Finite Difference Methods for Differential Equations". If you wish to deeply understand the area then this is your text with over 600 pages making up the book its worth every cent although the rather high price of around US$60 is too high for most students. If you can afford it buy it, there is no better book for both an introduction and detail, most of the material is covered elsewhere in class notes and research papers but the fact it is explained in a single book with good continuity is a godsend.

the best CFD primer out there
I have to admit that I was at first disappointed to see that the book was loaded with description of schemes in 1-D, with scant space dedicated to multi-dimensional problems. However, I must say that the coverage is easily the most clear and complete of the books on this subject. Other texts may be required to flesh out the schemes and boundary conditions in multi-dimensional space, but a reader will be well served with the good fundamental base that this text provides.

The best comprehesive book on the field
Has a good style: * Gives clear decription of physics * Gives a good introduction to basic numerics * Clearly explains various techniques developed over the last few decades, and the incentive behind their development * Up to date, with many modern schemes ... Read more

Book Description

An understanding of the mechanical behavior of materials is crucial to the success of many technological endeavors, yet few researchers master both mechanics and materials science. This unique volume helps bridge the important gap between the two disciplines. Bringing together contributions by some of the foremost authorities in these fields, this practical work introduces materials scientists to the quantitative aspects of analysis and computation, and members of the mechanics community to the tools and applications of materials science and testing and characterization methods. The authors present diverse methodologies, practices, and nomenclature-pointing out the many shared and related concepts and helping readers tackle cross-disciplinary problems with ease. In two major parts dealing with the basics and microstructural phenomena, Mechanics and Materials: Fundamentals and Linkages features:
* An easy-to-understand introduction to each discipline
* Survey of the most useful analytical techniques available to materials scientists and engineers today
* Broad coverage of mechanics-materials problems, from intrinsic properties to environmental influences
* Mechanics topics ranging from continuum mechanics to micromechanics, encompassing elasticity, plasticity, and fracture
* Materials topics such as creep, thermal activation, fatigue, polycrystallinity, dislocations, dynamic effects, and characterization methods

Complete with more than 300 figures and charts, and drawing on course material from the prestigious Institute for Mechanics and Materials' summer schools, Mechanics and Materials: Fundamentals and Linkages is an indispensable guide for students and professionals seeking to expand and integrate their knowledge of these fields. ... Read more

Book Description

In this updated and fully revised second edition, the authors provide the newcomer and the experienced practitioner with a balanced and comprehensive insight into all important methods and aspects of Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), including a sound presentation of the theoretical basis of DSC thermal analysis and temperature-modulated DSC (TMDCS). Emphasis is placed on modern evaluation techniques, instrumentation, the underlying measurement principles, metrologically correct calibrations, factors influencing the measurement process, and on the exact interpretation of the results. The information enables the research scientist, the analyst and experienced laboratory staff to choose the most suitable equipment, to apply DSC methods successfully, to interpret the measurement curve, and thus to measure key properties precisely. In addition, the new edition includes improved instrumental techniques such as Tzerotm and StepScantm, new evaluation techniques, more applications, and the latest references. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A practical guide to DSC
This book is a useful and clearly written practical guide for a technique that is becoming more important for more people as the years go by. If I do have to get critical, I could say that its price is rather high for its size. Although it contains a few references to modulated DSC I would gladly see a second edition that incorporates that side of the story in detail precisely because this new development is revolutionizing the DSC field as we speak. It will make it even broader than it already is and the new users need a book that allows them a good and easy path in. Another thing that is missing is the subfield of microcalorimetry (on protein solutions etc).
The explanation of deconvolution techniques is rather meager because the authors find fourier transforms (too?!) daunting. Otherwise: a fine book

A good reference book for both beginners and experts
This book gave me in depth understanding of each standard test method. It explains the test procedures, the sources of error and how to correct for them. Better written than most ASTM standards but still have room for improvement. It's not a "DSC for Dummies". I still have problem understanding certain parts of this book. Background knowledge of DSC is a needed. If your only source of test procedure is ASTM standards (and you are like me - have problem understanding them), this book will definately help. ... Read more

Book Description

There can be few books on mathematical mechanics as famous as this, a work that forms a comprehensive account of all the classical results of analytical dynamics. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Integrability defined
This is where I learned Liouville's integrability theorem for Hamiltonian systems, a key topic ignored by most modern texts on classical mechanics. Arnol'd covers it, but I found Arnol'd's more abstract lattice-based proof difficult to follow. Whittaker's text also contains many problems that are useful for a modern dynamics course. As a basis for understanding modern nonlinear dynamics, or for applications of mechanics, this old text is in many respects far better than the newer 'standard' mechanics texts by Landau-Lifshitz, and by Goldstein.

But take care: in a general discussion of integrability (conserved quantities) for general systems of odes early in the book, Whittaker does not distinguish local from global integrability. But then neither does Eisenhart in his book Continuous Groups, of the same era.

The most detailed Dynamics Book Ever
To put it mildly, this book is a frightening exercise to read. The biggest challenge faced by modern readers is that we seem to have lost certain mathematical skills and intuition compared with people in the very early 1900's. It takes enormous amounts of patience and effort to try and work through any of the proofs or derivations presented in this book.

However, Whittaker has presented just about every concept in classical dynamics that you could possibly want to know in an extremely elegant fashion. Concepts that you simply do not expect to see in a book written first in 1904 make an appearence here. This book is worth reading just to find out how the original mathematicicals that invented concepts view them. For exmaple, Whittakers use of Christoffel Symbols is the classical view that the early geometers like Levi-Civita probably had, without the modern terminology and viewpoint in temrs of connections on a manifold.

All in all this book is well worth the time and effort spent to read it, but be prepared to use up lots of paper in your attempts to convince yourself that a single proof is true.(Brush up your geometry before you even try to read this book)

A complete and scholarly book from one of THE experts
This book is, or rather was , the first modern book on classical mechanics. I think the first edition was published in 1904 and at the time it represented just about all that was known about the subject. A serious student today could rightly ask why he/she should read such a old book ? Well the answer to that question is a not an esay one : however whilst I would never say it is an simple book it repays careful study. Anyone taking more modern courses based on Arnold or Abraham and Marsden would do well to have a copy of this book by their side.The problems are taken mainly from Cambridge Maths Tripos examinations and they form a useful adjunct to the main body of the text.All the major topics are coverd including the 2 and 3 body problem, small oscillations, stability,etc. Well worth a read. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

One of the best
This book is really one of the better book on statistical physics. It is short and concise but it is impressive the amount of physics discussed in this book!
And the presentation is really modern.

soso
Don't get your hopes up too much. Not all of the problems are solved. The problems that are solved are solved OK but not always in the best way. Still, I'd buy this book all over again, since "Intro to stat mech" by Chandler is pretty cheap to begin with. Just think of it as paying for 1 book. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

Thermodynamics - the Gibbs way
Thermodynamics can be a difficult subject to master because it is presented in different ways in different disciplines. For example, the terminology and symbols used by mechanical engineers are often different from those used by physical chemists, and so on. The papers by Gibbs contained in this book, represent the foundation of the thermodynamics of mixtures. These are some of the greatest scientific papers ever written. The papers contain a comprehensive treatment of equilibrium thermodynamics and include more advanced treatments, e.g. strained solids, capillarity, electrical forces, etc.

After reading this book, I realised that much of what has been printed in modern texts often starts out with an approximation but the reader is not told that it is an approximation. This leads to confusion. In the Gibbs work, the reader is always aware of the approximations involved. For example, Gibbs built his themodynamics by starting with the simplest assumtpions, and then successively adding detail. Much of what is reported in modern texts is based on the initial assumption and ignores the later detail. For example, modern texts usually 'gloss-over' the study of capillarity. One would conclude from that treatment that Gibbs perhaps did no work on capillarity. However, on the contrary, Gibbs gave a very comprehensive (and remarkable) treatment of capillarity.

The papers in the book are at times hard to read, because they use follow a strict mathematical logic, and because Gibbs often says " it follows that ...". In many cases, it was not obvious to me how "it followed that ...". Nevertheless, this is a must-read for anyone interested in thermodynamics, and the Gibbs treatment is usually clearer than that given in modern texts.

Thoroughly recommended, and this book is now my prime reference on thermodynamics.

Gibbs's important but obscure masterpiece
This is a reprint of his original papers which cement the mathematical foundations of thermodynamics. Gibbs's work is a work of genius, but this book is an extremely challenging read. Writing in viscous 19th century prose, Gibbs is never one to use a sentence where a paragraph will do. Very few non-native English speakers who are experts in thermodynamics have the ability in English to read this from cover-to-cover. The questions one is left asking are 'Has the difficulty of this text slowed the further development of thermodynamics? Would any errors in Gibbs's work be spotted swiftly?' My answers to these questions are 'Yes,' and 'No,' respectively. Anyone who hopes to make advances in the fundamental theory or interpretation of thermodynamics (assuming, contrary to current dogma, that such advances can be made) needs to read the majority of this book.

Some of my views on thermodynamics are given in: D. J. Bottomley, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. Part 2, vol. 36, L1464 (1997). ... Read more

Book Description

Showing how loads analysis theory and practice has changed over the years from 1953 to the present, this important text covers all aspects of structural loads analysis and provides some continuity between what was done on earlier airplane designs and what the current applications of the present regulations require.

This masterful text also considers how the personal computer should be used to enhance the understanding of the physics of dynamics and automatic controls and to better equip the student of today to undertake the more advanced problems of tomorrow.

The book is recommended for university students studying structural loads analysis and requirements as well as structural engineers who deal with aircraft. It is a highly recommended textbook for all aeronautics and astronautics engineering departments. The last five chapters give guidance in the interpretation of the regulations required for certification. ... Read more

Book Description

Gain a working knowledge of thermodynamics and kinetics with a minimum of mathematics-a guide for individuals in the biological sciences

An understanding of thermodynamics and kinetics is essential for researchers investigating molecular phenomena in diverse disciplines, including bioorganic chemistry, medicinal chemistry, biochemistry, pharmaceuticals, and biology. The use of these physical chemistry tools in the biological sciences has exploded over the past fifteen years, but the majority of works on thermodynamics and kinetics require mathematical expertise beyond that of many researchers in the field. Presenting a highly accessible introduction to thermodynamics and kinetics, Thermodynamics and Kinetics for the Biological Sciences employs a minimum of mathematics, assuming only a basic calculus background, while treating a wide range of topics in a logical and easy-to-follow style. All principles and concepts are clearly illustrated through the use of relevant applications and examples from the biological sciences, and explanations are further enhanced with problems and up-to-date references. Written by a world-renowned authority on biochemical kinetics, this remarkable book also features an easy-to-understand statistical development of entropy and a more extensive coverage of chemical kinetics and ligand binding to macromolecules than is usually found in books of this kind. Readers will acquire a working knowledge of thermodynamics and kinetics that they can readily apply to biological systems and use for exploring the scientific literature. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent
I used this book as a supplement in a 4th semester chemistry course targeted for biology and premedical students this past term. It has excellent up-to-date examples and good problems. Hammes does a nice job of presenting at an appropriate level topics from thermodynamics and kinetics needed to read and understand biochemical articles. Such things as the meaning of the biochemical (as opposed to the chemical) standard state are particularly well done -- better than in other books I have seen for this audience.

But why does Wiley price [it at its cost]? Perhaps it is the nice color plates --- but at a lower price I would have had everyone in my class buy this as a suppplement to the text. At this price I am reluctant to do so.

Biologic Thermo without all the ideal gas BS
I enjoyed reading and studying this "thermodynamic/kinetics with a biochemistry twist". Most thermo books get too bogged down with ideal gases and the cost in time versus the benefits of material learned is too great. Dr. Hammes however has an easy reading style and focuses in on the "meat" of physical biochemistry pertaining to thermodynamics and kinetics. I am not a formal student, but a cardiologist interested in physical biochemistry. P-Chem learning requires doing the problems. The only drawback to Professor Hammes's textbook is that there are no solved problems or solutions manual for the problems in the back of each chapter. Nerds like me find these problems as a useful exercise in learning to insure that we have mastered the material. You will not be disappointed in this book. ... Read more

Book Description

This book is an attempt to get to the bottom of an acute and perennial tension between our best scientific pictures of the fundamental physical structure of the world and our everyday empirical experience of it. The trouble is about the direction of time. The situation (very briefly) is that it is a consequence of almost every one of those fundamental scientific pictures—and that it is at the same time radically at odds with our common sense—that whatever can happen can just as naturally happen backwards.

Albert provides an unprecedentedly clear, lively, and systematic new account�in the context of a Newtonian-Mechanical picture of the world�of the ultimate origins of the statistical regularities we see around us, of the temporal irreversibility of the Second Law of Thermodynamics, of the asymmetries in our epistemic access to the past and the future, and of our conviction that by acting now we can affect the future but not the past. Then, in the final section of the book, he generalizes the Newtonian picture to the quantum-mechanical case and (most interestingly) suggests a very deep potential connection between the problem of the direction of time and the quantum-mechanical measurement problem.

The book aims to be both an original contribution to the present scientific and philosophical understanding of these matters at the most advanced level, and something in the nature of an elementary textbook on the subject accessible to interested high-school students. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Not THAT bad...
I, and anyone who has read Albert's previous QM book, can readily agree with the other reviewers that his style is as queer as a four dollar bill, as off-putting as it is annoying. And yet, as I kept returning to Albert--this book in particular--all the while my outside reading on the subjects giving me a firmer rudimentary comprehension of the problems, I came to find that, slowly but surely, his work grew on me.
But as that's only my experience, I'll make sure prospective readers all understand just exactly what it is they're going to get themselves into with Albert:
1) Again, the style. He repeats phrases and words (e.g. "patently") often many times in the same sentence, which latter often read like Kant: a front clause and end clause that relate pretty obviously, but a whole middle ground that is prolix and confusing in providing the rationale for the relation. As I said, for me, the style grew on me, much as Kant's did, but it is challenging and perhaps needlessly difficult.
2) This is "patently" NOT a book for beginner's. On the other hand, it is patently not a book solely for experts either. I am no expert--not even close---and I would say I'm about one tier above begginer level, basically familiar with the relevant issues and concepts, but with no math and no formal training. The drawback of this is, of course, that issues presented much more clearly and gracefully elsewhere show up here as being complicated beyond belief. The "punchline" is (as Albert often says), that this IS complicated material, that it really isn't as simple as it's often presented, and Albert aims to give you the whole-hog, not an ice cream sundae version of it. With persistence and patience, you will get it, I swear. And just to re-iterate, you DO NOT need the math to get it, at least for this book. Most of the math is relegated to footnotes and for those who care about seeing demonstrations and proofs, which even without full understanding can be grasped from Albert's presentations of them.
3) He is repetitive, but I find this a good thing. Kant too was repetitive, but that actually helps me stay inside the frame and not get lost in the swift progress of the tour of these issues Albert is taking us through. You might hate it, so beware.
4) On the issues, Albert is fantastic, in my opinion. But when it comes to his own suggestions, and the last few chapters on QM, things get too obscure and presuppose too much on the reader's behalf (like having read his previous book). He tries, but he fails here. The good thing is, these last chapters are just icing. You'll get everything up to there, seriously, with patience and effort (although you may lose all patience, I don't deny).

I just say give it a shot. It's at least worth that much, and if you do "get it," you will be all the wiser. Good luck!

Fascinating Subject But Horribly Unintelligible Writing
Formally trained in academia as a physicist, David Albert made the switch over to philosophy to address foundational issues in physics, most notably those dealing with time and an outstanding problem in quantum mechanics known as the measurement problem. Although the endeavors of Albert are noble and worthwhile, I am afraid that he is lacking in competency as a writer to communicate his ideas in any sensible, intelligible fashion. As a former student of his, I can personally attest to how frustrating his writing and teaching style, kindly referred to by some as "unique," can be. Needlessly obtuse, ever obscure, Albert writes in such a manner that his prose can truly serve as a wonderful negative example of how not to write. Virtually every conceivable error in basic grammar and syntax is committed. Endlessly long sentences, riddled with comma splices and run on sentences, are grossly accompanied by a monstrous convolution of nestled subordinate clauses, which topple over one another and collapse any unifying logic.

Adding to this confusion, Albert repeatedly makes distracting use of parentheses in numerous attempts to develop main ideas instead of correctly using parentheses to make brief, nonessential comments. This semantic nightmare, however, does not end here, as Albert, in page after page, then incorporates numerous, ridiculously long footnotes, which like his "parenthetical" comments are also used to develop main ideas and are so needlessly complicated as to loose any cohesive significance. The net effect of all of this is to drown whatever semblance of order or meaning Albert is attempting to convey under a cacophony of jangled ideas, which chaotically crash into one another instead of logically and succinctly flowing orderly and soundly from one notion to the other. The reader senses there is some overarching unifying thread, in which all the disparate ideas Albert greatly belabors in developing will come together. This intimation, then, pushes the reader on with a very taxed patience for that moment of a great enlightenment. The anticipation of that arrival, however, proves anticlimactic, as chapter after chapter ends as it begins: in a dissolution of fragmentary, Byzantine ideas and lost meanings. Indeed, there has not been such a level of impenetrable perplexity in literature since T. S. Eliot's The Waste Land.

The most intelligible portion of this book, ironically, is to be found-not in the book itself per se-but in the description of the book on the inside of the jacket cover. Essentially, this book serves to bring an awareness to what is a fascinating problem in physics: the attempt to reconcile the temporal invariance of physical laws with our perennial everyday sense of a unidirectional nature of time. In Newtonian dynamics, for example, the governing equations of motion equally apply to both the past and the future. There is nothing in Newton's equations (or indeed in other equations that describe other physical phenomena such as electromagnetism or quantum mechanics) that specifies a direction of time. The past, in otherworlds, is just as likely to be a so-called "arrow of time" as the future is. Yet we know that there is one direction to time. In particular, the Second Law of Thermodynamics shows that we live in a universe in which entropy is ever increasing. We age and never grow younger; dropped eggs, which then crack, never spontaneous reassemble; smoke fills a room and never flows toward a point; we recall the past and not the future; and we can affect the future but not the past. Despite these common, everyday understandings of the way the universe operates, physical law makes no such distinctions of the past and future. We are as likely to become younger as we are to age; broken eggs can suddenly reassemble; smoke can converge toward a point; we should be able to recall the future as well as the past; and we can affect the past as well as the future. This is the subject that Albert is attempting to present to his readers.

Moreover, Albert offers a solution to the above problem: the so-called Past-Hypothesis, which is at the heart of this book. The Past-Hypothesis posits that the universe began in a Big Bang, low-entropy state, in which the random nature of particle motion (later argued by Albert to be possibly quantum mechanical in origin) then guarantees that the universe will evolve toward ever growing entropy, thus specifying an "arrow" of time and accounting for the Second Law of Thermodynamics. Albert argues that the Past-Hypothesis is a basic facet of physical law, irreducible to nothing else or anything more basic. This view, however, is by no means universally accepted. There are many competing theories to this problem of time, including a very interesting one by Julian Barbour, who argues in The End of Time for a fascinating possibility that there is an underlying time-less structure to the universe.

Other than stating the problem well on the book jacket (which you can view and read here on Amazon.com), I am afraid that Time and Chance really has no other merit, which would make it a book worth purchasing. I truly hope that if Dr. Albert is reading this he will understand just how difficult it is to comprehend his book, in which the difficulty lies not in the subject matter but in his writing. There were many very bright and capable people in his class who often times simply had no idea (myself included) what it was he was trying to convey. The book is in dire need of heavy revision, and I hope that this is undertaken in the future. As it stands, the book is simply too poorly written to be worth the read other than if you are one of the unfortunate students enrolled in his Direction of Time course, in which case your grade depends on you desperately trying to elucidate and understand this book.

Definitely not for the layperson
I was interested in this book because of its glowing review in Science magazine. While this may be an excellent book, I certainly couldn't tell after the first 45 pages. Major portions of the text consists of illegible footnotes. In spite of its folksy style, the author is obscure and impenetrable. It makes me wonder why, if he really has something to say, he can't explain it in a sensible fashion. While there might be people who get something from this book, a casual reader should expect some very tough going.

I disagree with this author
He uses common assumptions which I believe are wrong. For example he assumes that all arrangement of atoms in a gas have equal probabliity. It should be obvious that probability of an atom being in a small section of its path is inversely proportional to its velocity in that portion of the path. He describes the Maxwell demon and he is correct there but there is a second deamon analogous to the Maxwell demon. For example thee is a definite probability that all molecules of a gas in a specific volume can spontaneously be within a smaller volume. However, because the velocity of the molecules is so high the duration of the molecules is so small that it is not evident in the pressure on the walls. For a further discussion on this subject see my book "The Thermodynamics of Rheology" Chapter IV. ... Read more

Book Description

Relates introductory heat transfer concepts to other disciplines, namely thermodynamics and fluid mechanics. Reflects changes currently taking place in the research community as well as engineering education. Emphasizes that real applications tend to be interdisciplinary and require a solid foundation in all areas of the thermal sciences. Emphasizes design, or the synthesizing of two or more issues into an answer with practical meaning. Design questions are drawn from many diverse areas and each question is presented in a fundamental way. Makes a strong case regarding the use of simple and approximate analyses, focusing on order-of-magnitude calculations or ``scale analysis''. Applications are interdisciplinary. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

easy to understand
Very good text on heat transfer which covers complex subjects but is still easy to read. ... Read more

Book Description

This Book/Disk set contains: a book of thermodynamic properties and CATT software, which calculates the properties for a larger group of gasses. This package has the following substances/tables: Water, Freons, Air, other Ideal gases, Ammonia, Nitrogen, and Methane tables. There is also a generalized chart that covers both simple fluid and complex fluid corrections for the compressibility factor, enthalpy departure, entropy departure and the fugacity coefficient using the acentric factory. ... Read more

Book Description

A comprehensive, best-selling introduction to the basics of engineering thermodynamics. Requiring only college-level physics and calculus, this popular book includes a realistic art program to give more realism to engineering devices and systems.

A tested and proven problem-solving methodology encourages readers to think systematically and develop an orderly approach to problem solving:

• Provides readers with a state-of-the art introduction to second law analysis.
• Design/open-ended problems provide readers with brief design experiences that offer them opportunities to apply constraints and consider alternatives.

Book Description

For chemical and mechanical engineering students. Covers transport in steady state and unsteady state systems.Includes problems in dimensional analysis and chemical reactions, compressible flow, boundary layer analysis, laminar and turbulent flow, and convection. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

This book is worthless
This book has zero usability. It is not an adequate source of reference for any course pertaining to transport phenomena. You would have better luck using the internet to help you get past advanced problems with which you struggle, as this book is poorly organized and has little to offer to the student of any course beyond the introductory level.

Ok for Profs', "not so hot" for students
As an adjunct professor who teaches Transport Phenomena I purchased this book in the hope that it filled a void that has long existed in the area of solution books on transport phenomena; a good treatment of heat and mass transfer. The Schaum's outlines "Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulics" and "Fluid Dynamics" are good treatments of momentum transport. To its credit the book does include a significant number of problems in heat and mass transport as well as in the area of momentum transport. However the book does not live up to some of its claims:

1. "When students want to look up a particular type of problem and solution they can readily locate it in the book by referring to the index...

The not all of the problems are that easy to find. For example if one looks for transpiration cooling one is referred to problem 16-4 in the section on convective mass transfer. Admittedly this problem has aspects of mass transfer as well as heat tranfer but one would have expected to find this in the section on convective heat transfer (e.g. Transport Phenomena by Bird, Stewart and Lightfoot). Also the index fails to point to another transpiration problem that is solved in chapter 6 (Boundary layer flow and drag force). This is an even more unlikely place to find such a problem. There are a number of other examples of "misplaced problems" which casts some doubt on the editor's expertise in Tranport Phenomena.

2. The book claims to overcome a limitation of most texts namely that of presenting example problems in "abbreviated form which leaves out material between steps and requires that the students derive the ommitted material themselves".

This approach seems to be applied very selectively. Those problems in which the ommitted material is relatively trivial and straightforward are solved in gory detail (see for example problem 6-14). However for problems in which the intermediate steps are not so obvious (see problem 11-10) the intermediate details are omitted. Problem 11-10 is a verbatim repititon of example 10.5-4 in the above mentioned book by Bird et al.) It discusses dimensional analysis of a natural convection problem. Bird et al. appear to choose rather arbitrarily a non-obvious form for the dimensionless quantities used to simplify the transport equations. It would have been useful to explain how these quantities were derived but this opportunity is missed completely.

Overall this book is a reasonably good compilation of a number of classic problems in Transport Phenomena and as such is a handy "one stop shopping" type of reference for teachers. In my rather brief perusal of the book I did not see any new and exciting problems being introduced. Also I don't see this as being a useful learning tool for students since it does not add much to the current solutions that already exist in standard texts on the subject. In fact as a didactic tool it falls far short of the Schaum's outline series in that it presents only problems and solutions with not supporting theoretical discussion. ... Read more

Book Description

This book is an elaboration of the author's lecture notes in a graduate course in statistical physics and thermodynamics, augmented by some material suitable for self-teaching as well as for undergraduate study. The first 4 or 5 chapters are suitable for an undergraduate course for engineers and physicists in Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics and include detailed study of the various ensembles and their connections to applied thermodynamics. The Debye law of specific heats and reasons for deviations from the Debye formulas are covered, as are the Einstein theories of Brownian motion, black-body radiation and specific heat of solids. Van der Waals gases and the reason for the apparent failure of his Law of Corresponding States are discussed.

The last 5 chapters treat topics of recent interest to researchers, including: the Ising and Potts models, spin waves in ferromagnetic and anti-ferromagnetic media, sound propagation in non-ideal gases and the decay of sound waves, introduction to the understanding of glasses and spin glasses, superfluidity and superconductivity.

The selection of material is wide-ranging and the mathematics for handling it completely self-contained, ranging from counting (probability theory) to quantum field theory as used in the study of fermions, bosons and as an adjunct in the solutions of the equations of classical diffusion-reaction theory. In addition to the standard material found in most recent books on statistical physics the constellation of topics covered in this text includes numerous original items:

· Generalization of "negative temperature" to interacting spins
· Derivation of Gibbs' factor from first principles
· Exact free energy of interacting particles in 1D (e.g., classical and quantum Tonk's gas)
· Introduction to virial expansions, Equations of State, Correlation Functions and "critical exponents"
· Superfluidity in ideal and non-ideal fluids (both Bogolubov and Feynman theories)
· Superconductivity: thermodynamical approach and the BCS theory
· Derivation of "Central Limit Theorem" and its applications
· Boltzmann's "H-Theorem" and the nonlinear Boltzmann equation
· Exact solution of nonlinear Boltzmann Equation for electrons in time-dependent electric field and the derivation of Joule heating, transport parameters in crossed electric and magnetic fields, etc.
· Frequency spectrum and decay of sound waves in gases
· Exact evaluation of free energy and thermodynamic properties of the two-dimensional Ising model in regular and fully frustrated (spin-glass like) lattices
· The "zipper" model of crystal fracture or polymer coagulation - calculation of Tc
· Potts model in 2D: duality and Tc
· "Doi's theory" of diffusion-limited chemical reactions with some exact results — including the evaluation of statistical fluctuations in radioactive decay
· Thermodynamic Green Functions and their applications to fermions and bosons with an example drawn from random matrix theory

and much more. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Not for beginners
I'm sorry to say it, but the title of this book is misleading. The only way this book would be simple for you is if you have had a moderate class in probability and have had plenty of previous study in thermodynamics and physics. This book is definitely not for beginners.

Not simple at all!
I bought this book after I saw an advertisement in Physics today. While I cannot judge whether it is a good book for people who are already deep into the subject, it is definitely not a book for beginners or intermediates. For the latter I would recommend Chandler or Hill. ... Read more

Book Description

Fluctuations, order, and defects determine a material's properties. The difference between water and ice is a matter of order. Many of today's high-tech materials in electronics and chemistry engineer order and defects to maximize desired properties. This second of a four volume set discusses phase transitions in a field theoretic context and shows how these methods can be applied to more complex systems such as liquid crystals and polymers. While building on the previous volume, this volume is self-contained and stands alone as a valuable resource.

* Modern treatment includes coverage of effective hamiltonians.
* Focuses on problems in condensed matter physics.
* Author is well-known and respected for his work in statistical mechanics. ... Read more

Book Description

Written by an internationally recognized expert in the field, this book provides a valuable introduction to the rapidly growing area of non-linear time series.Because developments in the study of dynamical systems have motivated many of the advances discussed here, the author's coverage includes such fundamental concepts of dynamical systems theory as limit cycles, Lyapunov functions, thresholds, and stability, with detailed descriptions of their role in the analysis of non-linear time series data. As the first accessible and comprehensive account of these exciting new developments, this unique volume bridges the gap between linear and chaotic time series analysis.Both statisticians and dynamical systems theorists will value its survey of recent developments and the present state of research, as well as the discussion of a number of unsolved problems in the field. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Such a useful text!
I absolutely appreciated this book, which, in my opinion, perfectly matches with another book by Lawrence Perko titled "Differential equations and dynamical systems". The main reason why I think this is a very good book is that it deals in a quite clear and extremely preciseway with the analysis of attractors for stochastic time series, alsodeveloping non trivial concepts such as Lyapunov functions and the study ofchaos. Thanks to its completeness and to a great number of examples, it canbe extremely useful for both the applied mathematician who wants to improvehis or her knowledge concerning the analysis and the application of bothdeterministic and stochastic dynamical systems and for the econometricianas well. One only fault: it should have been written later: the concept ofnon linear cointegration could have been dealt with, making the text evenmore useful for econometricians. A must read, anyway. ... Read more