Promotional Information

A compelling and important look at the history and evolution of the second law of thermodynamics (entropy) and its effect on society, culture, and daily life.

Table of Contents

The Birth of a Beautiful TheorySo what is all this talk about entropy?The science of heat and work: Classical ThermodynamicsMuch more about entropyLink of thermodynamics to modern physicsEntropy and Our Society, Culture, Planet, and our UniverseEntropy, the economic process, and the world's environmental problemsEnergy, entropy and life and heat deathThe use of the concept of entropy in other sciencesEpilogueAppendix I: Two more laws of thermodynamics?Appendix II: Another way of looking at entropyAppendix III: How does the gas heat up the air pump?Appendix IV: Will shuffling a deck of cards change the entropy?Appendix V: How much does the entropy change in the case of gas expansion and gas mixing?Appendix VI: Thermodynamic TimelineAppendix VII: Can the human body be considered a heat engine?Appendix VIII: Ways to concentrate energy: nuclear energy, photovoltaic cells, and fuel cellsAppendix IX: Qualitative definitions and descriptions of entropyAppendix X: Some simple calculations and interesting numbers

About the Author

John e Schmitz holds currently a senior management position in semiconductor technology research. He was awarded his Ph.D. in Chemistry in 1984 from the Catholic University of Nijmegen (Netherlands).

Reviews

This is one of the most personal science based books I've ever read, explaining ...the author's own personal journey into discovering it's wonders and implications for us all." --Matt Grimshaw, Future Fab International