Entropy Demystified: The Second Law Reduced to Plain Common Sense |  | Author: Arieh Ben-Naim
Publisher: World Scientific Publishing Company
List Price: $31.00
Buy New: $29.71
as of 11/23/2009 12:51 CST details
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New (13) Used (7) from $29.71
Seller: Supermart
Rating:  18 reviews
Sales Rank: 142495
Media: Paperback
Edition: Expanded
Pages: 250
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6 x 0.5
ISBN: 9812832254
Dewey Decimal Number: 536.73
EAN: 9789812832252
ASIN: 9812832254
Publication Date: June 18, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
In this unique book, the reader is invited to experience the joy of appreciating something which has eluded understanding for many years -- entropy and the second law of thermodynamics. The book has a two-pronged message: first, that the second law is not infinitely incomprehensible as commonly stated in most textbooks on thermodynamics, but can, in fact, be comprehended through sheer common sense; and second, that entropy is not a mysterious quantity that has resisted understanding but a simple, familiar and easily comprehensible concept. Written in an accessible style, the book guides the reader through an abundance of dice games and examples from everyday life. The author paves the way for readers to discover for themselves what entropy is, how it changes, and, most importantly, why it always changes in one direction in a spontaneous process. In this new edition, seven simulated games are included so that the reader can actually experiment with the games described in the book. These simulated games are meant to enhance the readers understanding and sense of joy upon discovering the second law of thermodynamics. Contents: Programs for Simulating Some of the Games in the Book; Introduction, and a Short History of the Second Law of Thermodynamics; A Brief Introduction to Probability Theory, Information Theory, and All the Rest; First Let Us Play with Real Dice; Let s Play with Simplified Dice and Have a Preliminary Grasp of the Second Law; Experience the Second Law with All Your Five Senses; Finally, Grasp It with Your Common Sense; Translating from the Dice-World to the Real World; Reflections on the Status of the Second Law of Thermodynamics as a Law of Physics.
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 18
Entropy Demystified November 17, 2009
Gary R. Bosworth (Malibu, CA USA)
Quick delivery. Quality product. Interesting reading. Thought-provoking. Well worth the money. I am a very satisfied customer.
Clear, easy to read and very informative August 15, 2009
Antonio Henrique Figueira Louro
A book very nice to read, full of important knwoledge, you must read it from the preface to the last page, every detail is important. If you want to know what entropy is, this is the book. Three months ago I was completely new in the entropy world, now I'm writing a paper about entropy applications in computer vision. U$29.00? very very cheap, you must buy it.
Buy this book June 18, 2009
John T. Knight
It is not necessary to be an engineer to read, understand, and enjoy this book. However, if you are an engineer like me, then there is a good chance that you completed your coursework on thermodynamics without gaining a good intuitive feel for what entropy actually is. I have searched thermodynamics texts for years looking for an explanation of entropy that left me intellectually satisfied. I have finally found that explanation in "Entropy Demystified." This book far surpasses anything I have read on the topic of entropy. The remarkable thing is that the book does not rely on complicated mathematics, or technical jargon. While reading the book, I found I was constantly telling myself, "Of course! That makes sense!"
This book is a great read. I wish I could give it 10 stars.
A tour de force! May 4, 2009
Warren F. Davis (Newton, MA USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Entropy Demystified, by Prof. Arieh Ben-Naim, is an absolute gem! Using very simple, easily followed, "games" with dice, Ben-Naim delivers handsomely on his promise, made at the beginning of the book, to remove all mystery from the concept of entropy and to make the reader appreciate that entropy is not only not a mystery but it is nothing more than a consequence of common sense. No advanced mathematics is required, only some very basic concepts in probability and a feeling for "large" numbers, both of which are developed for the reader so that no advanced preparation is required.
As a physicist, I am well aware that many more of my colleagues than might care to admit it are not altogether comfortable with the notion of entropy and, unfortunately, share, and even perpetuate, some of the inappropriate interpretations that have become fashionable, such as that entropy is a measure of the disorder of a system. Putting aside the fact that "disorder" is an ill-defined concept, entropy is not always synonymous with what one might characterize as disorder, as Ben-Naim well illustrates in the last chapter of the book.
If you would really like to know, once and for all, what entropy really is, and to be certain beyond any doubt, this is the book for you. What I especially like about the book is that Ben-Naim has also lived up to the first law of good technical writing, which is that it is the author's duty and responsibility to consider the reader first and foremost. At every step of the way, Ben-Naim anticipates the next question likely to be in the mind of the reader and provides immediate clarification. It is almost as though Ben-Naim is there in the room with you providing immediate feedback on every detail. His ability to anticipate and respond to the needs of the reader in this way is a rare talent indeed that makes this book a sheer delight to read and assures that the promise to remove all mystery concerning entropy will be fulfilled by the time you reach the last chapter. Actually, by the time you reach the next-to-last chapter. The last chapter is reserved for some of Ben-Naim's personal reflections on entropy, itself fascinating reading, enhanced immeasurably by the understanding provided by the preceding chapters.
This book is not going to teach you thermodynamics or statistical mechanics, and is not intended to do so. It's sole purpose is to give you a clear and unambiguous understanding of what entropy really is. Prof. Ben-Naim has succeeded in spades.
Those who may be interested in a more "in depth" discussion of statistical mechanics based on information, perhaps as the next step after Entropy Demystified, can take a look at Ben-Naim's recent book "A farewell to Entropy; Statistical Thermodynamics based on Information."
Too late April 22, 2009
Raymond D. Mountain
50 years too late! This book would have been a great help when I was introduced to Thermodynamics. At least the current generation will benefit.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 18
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