Four Laws That Drive the Universe

by Peter Atkins

The laws of thermodynamics drive everything that happens in the universe. From the sudden expansion of a cloud of gas to the cooling of hot metal, and from the unfurling of a leaf to the course of life itself--everything is moved or restrained by four simple laws. They establish fundamental concepts such as temperature and heat, and reveal the arrow of time and even the nature of energy itself.
Written by Peter Atkins, one of the worlds leading authorities on thermodynamics, this powerful and compact introduction explains what these four laws are and how they work, using accessible language and virtually no mathematics. Guiding the reader a step at a time, Atkins begins with Zeroth (so named because the first two laws were well established before scientists realized that a third law, relating to temperature, should precede them--hence the jocular name zeroth), and proceeds through the First, Second, and Third Laws, offering a clear account of concepts such as the availability of work and the conservation of energy. Atkins ranges from the fascinating theory of entropy (revealing how its unstoppable rise constitutes the engine of the universe), through the concept of free energy, and to the brink, and then beyond the brink, of absolute zero.
C.P. Snow once remarked that not knowing the second law of thermodynamics is like never having read a work by Shakespeare. This brief but brilliant book introduces general readers to one of the cornerstones of modern science, four laws that are as integral to the well-educated mind as such great dramatic works as Hamlet or Macbeth.

Genres: Science, Physics, Nonfiction, Popular Science, Chemistry, Academic

144 pages, Hardcover

Published September 27, 2007

About the author

Peter William Atkins is an English chemist and a Fellow of Lincoln College at the University of Oxford. He retired in 2007. He is a prolific writer of popular chemistry textbooks, including Physical Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, and Molecular Quantum Mechanics. Atkins is also the author of a number of popular science books, including Atkins' Molecules, Galileo's Finger: The Ten Great Ideas of Science and On Being.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[WarpDrive · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very nice little book, with little mathematical content but conceptually very precise and rigorous, and without oversimplifications. Unfortunately, it deals only very succinctly with statistical thermodynamics.

Simple, very easy, introductory-level, quick refresher of the basics of thermodynamics. Nicely written and a pleasure to read.

[Mengsen Zhang · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is amazing. If it's not dad's recommendation I wouldn't have read that with the look of the title. And I was shocked. This is the most elegant book I have ever read about thermodynamic. It's concise, accessible but doesn't sacrifice its depth. No dramatic statement or attempts to elicit unnecessary or unscientific imagination. no cheezy fantasy. if I had read this in college, physical chem would not have to be a pain in the ass.

[Petr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Termodynamika je zrádná tím, že se zdá být jednoduchá. Co už je jasnější než zákon zachování energie? - tedy, dokud se v něm nezačnete šťourat. Učit termodynamiku proto znamená spíš odnaučovat mylné představy a bojovat s rozumem až příliš zdravým.

Atkinsova popularizační knížka se tímto požadavkem řídí - a není špatná, ale skvělá taky ne. Znám nejmíň dvě vysokoškolské učebnice, které podávají tutéž látku srozumitelněji i vtipněji (samozřejmě také hlouběji a exaktněji, což je nevýhodné pro toho, kdo chce jen letmý přehled). Atkinsovu slavnou Fyzikální chemii jsem nečetl, ale předpokládám, že bude také velice dobrá, má takovou pověst. Jenže dobrou popularizaci nevyrobíte tak, že učebnicový text proškrtáte a nahradíte některá dlouhá slova krátkými.

V knize nenajdete ani jeden obrázek skutečného parního stroje, což je skoro neomluvitelné. Málo srozumitelně je vysvětlen jeden z klíčových pojmů - vratný děj. Pojmů zavedených pomocí nedostatečného vysvětlení je tam ostatně víc (trojný bod, energetické stavy atomu, ideální plyn). U výkladu entropie by rozhodně stálo za zmínku propojení s teorií informace, víc se dalo napsat o kapalném héliu a supravodivosti... já vím, teď vyčítám autorovi, že napsal tuto knihu a ne jinou, to není fair (a je zřejmé, že psal tak, aby se vešel do předepsaného rozsahu).

Zajímavá je krátká pasáž pojednávající o teplotách pod absolutní nulou, což by však zase potřebovalo zasadit do kontextu - z výkladu není vidět, zda jde o abstraktní matematickou hříčku, kuriózní výsledek kvantové fyziky nebo každodenní realitu (zhruba platí, že b je správně, tím pádem je v jistém smyslu správně i c - pokud vás to zajímá).

Termodynamika je fascinující obor, skutečný základ světa, titul Atkinsovy knihy nepřehání. Zasloužila by si obsáhlejší a lepší popularizační dílo; jestli existuje, nevím o něm. Prozatím i tohle stojí za přečtení. Když si ke čtení přiberete Wikipedii a trpělivost, pochodíte dobře.

[Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This guy is an english chemistry professor who's specialty is to make simple things complicated for the lay person.

[Parker Hewitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is overall quite good. It is a almost completely non-mathematical introduction to the laws of thermodynamics. As part of a series of short introductions that are made to just introduce the details I think it does its job pretty well. At time Atkins has weird sort of unexplained quirks in his imagining of things, like how he phrases some of his examples in the free energy section when discussing enthalpy. Overall the book is actually harmed by the lack of mathematics for me. There are many areas where I had to imagine equations in my head and attempt to follow his verbal argument. That said I think this book has helped clear some things up in my mind, particularly about phenomenological thermodynamics and how laws apply to things. It is just barely outside of my wheelhouse since this book would do great for chemists (this makes sense since Atkins is a chemist) and the discussion of some things didn't seem particularly relevant to pure physics. The language can be a bit confusing from time to time, in part because a lack of precision which could be fixed by adding more math, but it is as close to a thorough non-mathematical introduction to the topic that doesn't kind of just tell you what the laws are. If there were explanations like these accompanied by better pictures and detailed descriptions of the math, then this could be my preferred book on the topic.

Also the ending bit on negative absolute temperatures was interesting and fun, but really emphasizes the need for just a bit more math. This topic helped to illustrate the benefits of thinking both on the molecular level and the bulk level, and I am happy that Atkins ends the book by acknowledging that the second law is statistical and that there are (unlikely) possibilities that molecules spontaneously order themselves. The other interesting part at the end of the book though is that Atkins says all these laws are statistical, which would include the conservation of energy and the concept of temperature. Since the conservation of energy is based on a deeper symmetrical aspect of the universe, I am interested to know if he was just being imprecise here or if he is referring to places where time symmetry is broken.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of me feels unqualified to rate this book; the other part feels justified, as the intended audience seems to be the laypeople of the world. Some of the analogies were really effective. I had a few “aha” moments and it made me feel like less of human garbage to understand how a steam engine works on a basic level. (When I forget in a few weeks or months, to garbage I shall return.) That third law graph/concept was frighteningly bizarre (in a good way, like parallel universes are), though I can almost grasp how, in terms of beta (it was amusing how upset the author is that we don’t use beta instead of Celsius or Fahrenheit), it makes perfect sense. Some of the equations I couldn’t really get no matter how many times I went over them, and I’m still shaky on Helmholtz and Gibbs energies. My only true disappointment, though, is that there weren’t more “big picture” connections that go into, say, the entropy of deep space or the transfer of energy in weather systems. I suppose I should be grateful for the mechanics of refrigerators and especially the part about how ATP is used to build proteins. I should probably reread this sometime.

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not sure what compelled me to think I had the brainpower or patience to tackle thermodynamics, even in its pared-down introductory form. This was dreadfully boring and essentially ruined my reading for a couple weeks. I kept thinking each law would illuminate some startling new concept about the world, but instead it just led to another description of a cold sink absorbing energy from an anabatic container, thus contributing to the increased entropy of the universe and me falling asleep for about three days and flinging this book in dusty corners, there to sit unread and hated. My conclusion? The four laws that drive the universe are really boring and fairly basic. Also, temperature doesn’t exist and everything we do leads to and is based upon disorder and chaos.

[Erickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very comprehensive and detailed exposition of 4 laws of thermodynamics as well as Gibbs, Helmholtz free energies. The mathematics is confined to the theorems only, and yet the description is essential to understand these laws without sacrificing rigour. The only thing that is not covered is probably the mathematics of it. Highly recommended for those seeking the first detailed understanding of thermodynamics.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler"
Albert Einstein.

I like that this is only 130 pages long,focused on a single topic and is made as simple as possible.This simplicity I'm found quite challenging. I didn't understand it all and will have to return again or find other sources to learn more.

[Pablitocl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una buena pincelada a las 4 leyes de la termodinámica. Recomendado para refrescar conceptos y lenguaje asociado al tema

[Alessandro Piovaccari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Concise, precise and very well explained. It helped me get a better understanding of entropy and free energy.

[Sara Ghotb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It’s a short, sharp dive into the laws of thermodynamics, those quiet, invisible rules that govern basically everything in the universe. Peter Atkins manages to keep things both concise and surprisingly comprehensive. The book is mostly mathematical in tone, which might make it a little tricky to read on the subway (as I found!), but it’s clear, structured, and engaging all the way through.

What I appreciated most is how it refreshed things I’d learned years ago while also offering new perspectives. It’s not full of anecdotes or casual storytelling, it’s more about getting to the core ideas and showing how deeply they shape reality. Energy, entropy, equilibrium… they’re all here, laid out in a way that makes you feel the weight of how fundamental they are.

If you're into physics or just curious about why anything happens at all, this is a compact, rewarding read.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a good introduction to the laws of thermodynamics. However, it is very technical- to the point where a scientific background is probably necessary to understand the book well. It would be more appealing to the general population if it had more subheadings and color illustrations.

[Lucas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elegance.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this book was less than what I expected, it was a succinct explanation of thermodynamics.
It would serve as a sollid companion to any textbook on thermodynamics.

[Cheyenne Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Explained very well, only touching on the math by showing simple visualizations and formulaic relationships. The author also has a great subtle humor sprinkled throughout.

[Guillem Bassets · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

[Jim Razinha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stephen Pinker mentioned this book in his Enlightenment Now and I noted in October of last year to find it. Well, now is when I carved out some time. I’m a mechanical engineer who doesn’t get to play with this kind of stuff but I still like it, and now and then I give myself a refresher course...or at least a reminder if not a whole course.

I so could have used the first part when I took Thermodynamics II back in 1990! First assignment...that took three weeks of rejecting everyone’s answers before the professor (I’ve forgotten his name) tossed in the towel and moved on ... was to define temperature. I came the closest (also forgotten is whatever I came up with) because I submitted something I’d found in the History of Science Library - he gave me full credit for being an engineering student who knew there was such a library. But we didn’t call it the Zeroth Law.

Atkins does a wonderful job explaining all the concepts. He does get down into the weeds so for the too long won’t read folks, here’s the layman’s translation of the three laws of thermodynamics:
- You can’t win (can’t get more out than you put in...conservation of energy)
- You can’t break even (entropy/disorder increases and not all heat is available to convert to work; any transfer of heat has some loss unless you can get to absolute zero, except...)
- You can’t quit the game (you can never cool to absolute zero)
I don’t know where I first heard it but that’s credited in some form to C. P. Snow.

A few selected soundbites:

“Heat is the transfer of energy by virtue of a temperature difference. Heat is the name of a process, not the name of an entity.”

“In former times, the extra energy of the vapour was termed the ‘latent heat’, because it was released when the vapour re-condensed to a liquid and was in some sense ‘latent’ in the vapour. The scalding effect of steam is an illustration. In modern thermodynamic terms, the supply of energy as heat is identified with the change in enthalpy of the liquid, and the term ‘latent heat’ has been replaced by enthalpy of vaporization.” I guess when I took my classes in 1990 and 2000, we were still in “former times” because that’s what we called it!

I’d not come across this relation before and I like it:

There is a celebrated theorem, Noether’s the- orem, proposed by the German mathematician Emmy Noether (1882–1935), which states that to every conservation law there corresponds a symmetry. Thus, conservation laws are based on various aspects of the shape of the universe we inhabit. In the particular case of the conservation of energy, the symmetry is that of the shape of time. Energy is conserved because time is uniform: time flows steadily, it does not bunch up and run faster then spread out and run slowly. Time is a uniformly structured coordinate. If time were to bunch up and spread out, energy would not be conserved.

“The second law has a reputation for being recondite, notoriously difficult, and a litmus test of scientific literacy.“ Yeah... lots of discussions over entropy.

With respect to getting to absolute zero, “The challenge, partly because it is there, is to cool matter to absolute zero itself.” And this is just interesting

Another challenge, to which we shall return, is to explore whether it is possible— and even meaningful—to cool matter to temperatures below absolute zero of temperature; to break, as it were, the temperature barrier.

I’d never thought about coming from the other side...sort of like the other side of the Big Bang singularity, I guess.

Anyway, if you like the fundamentals of thermodynamics, this is a good book. I found a confrontational counter title “The Four Laws That Do Not Drive The Universe: Elements of Thermodynamics for the Curious and Intelligent.” by Arieh Ben-Naim. I am curious and given to understand intelligent and was interested to read a different perspective (and why Ben-Naim has it in for Atkins) but I can’t find a copy that doesn’t cost more than my curiosity is willing to pay. So, not today.

[Ray Wang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very epic very thermodynamic

[Voyt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scientific literacy presented.
POSTED BY ME AT AMAZON 2008
Let me quote Sir Arthur Stanley Eddington here:
"The law that entropy always increase..(lots about it in Atkins book)..-the second law of thermodynamics - HOLDS, I think, the supreme position among the Laws of Nature. If someone points out to you that your pet theory of the universe is in disagreement with Maxwell's equations - then so much the worse for Maxwell's equations. If it is found to be contradicted by observers - well, these experimentalists do bungle things sometimes. But if your theory is found to be against the second law of thermodynamics, I can give you no hope; there is nothing for it but to collapse in deepest humiliation".
Professor Atkins delivers short but kaleidoscopic and effective lecture just about above mentioned conviction. Lecture will be useful for many - students as well as for readers who left school long time ago (this is me) but like to get into popular cosmology/physics books with clear understanding of the most important topic in science - thermodynamics.
It is worth to mention briefly here, that the original formulation of the second law is not the ultimate truth. This book teaches only about classical thermodynamics, where actually systems are in equilibrium (nothing changes). Professor Atkins admits it in Conclusion at the end. But there is also non-equilibrium, linear thermodynamics that applies to things moving towards equilibrium (dissipative processes like thermodiffusion) and the fourth thermodynamics law (called "reciprocal relations") as a corollary of it. John Gribbin sheds some light on it in his fascinating and highly recommended popular-science new book : "Deep Simplicity - Bringing Order to Chaos and Complexity".

[UPstart Go · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book for people seriously interested in thermodynamics. It covers a lot of material quickly. It is dense. But, if you get through chapter 4, it is rewarding. In chapter 4 he explains how we live off of entropy. Entropy is fundamental to our being. We need disorder to increase. I found this to be beautiful. It's also great conceptual introduction to the fundamental concepts of thermodynamics and consistently insightful. For example, entropy is illustrated by an analogy to the sound of a cough. In a quiet library the sound of the cough has more impact then it does on a busy street. Likewise, heat entering a low temperature system gives less entropy than that same amount of heat entering a high temperature system [S=Q/T]. Also, heat is a process. It isn't a form of energy. It is the transfer of energy as disordered motion; whereas work is the transfer of energy through uniform motion. So, the book clarifies a lot of subtle things that could be tricky stumbling blocks. There are few mathematical derivations. This precludes some depth of explanation. Enthalpy is presented and applied, but this book doesn't explain where the definition comes from (Khan Academy has some good videos that supplement this material nicely). But this is only an introduction and maybe such derivations would be a distraction from the essential concepts and needlessly lengthen what is intended to be a breezy quick read. After reading this, consider reading Van Ness' Understanding Thermodynamics and Fermi's Thermodynamics.

[Sanjeev Kumar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Concise, non-mathematical overview of thermodynamics. Good explanation of entropy.

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read. I stumbled upon this book by accident (I had no active interest in studying the field of thermodynamics). Suffice to say, I am now very much interested! Peter Atkins has a flare of delivering a difficult concept using stories and scenarios. I could picture the steam engines and the inside working of a refrigerator as he explained the 1st and 2nd law of thermodynamics. In my mind, I could see the electrons bouncing back and forth as Atkins explained temperature, heat and work. High school physics text swam before my eyes as formulae were dissected and then sewn back (and this time they made sense). Now, I have a greater understanding of thermodynamics and definitely will not hesitate to read more on the topic. The laws of thermodynamics apply to everyday life, yet not many are aware of its mechanics. This book is a great start to the topic!

[Mohamed · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd like to state first why i wanted to read that book ? because i wanted to understand the second law of thermodynamics and to have an understanding perhaps provisional one in case i study thermodynamics in the future quantitatively with equations , my review : the first two chapter are very good and introduce the idea of Temperature , i love very much the third chapter in my humble opinion it is the best chapter written , i made me get a good intuition about entropy and the second law , his examples were awesome especially the library and busy street example , i did not love the last two chapters did not understand them in a good way at all , i think - at least me - those two chapters need more explanation or maybe i am who did not make much effort to understand them , a nice book after all.

[Maria Renate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd give it a five star rating, except that I know that I didn't understand everything presented. However, if you want to have your mind stretched and re-learn something you had to memorize in high school (which is not learning), then I can recommend this book. The concepts presented allowed me to reconsider the Four Laws of Thermodynamics from unfamiliar angles and I profited from it. I am not a terribly sciency sort, but I know that even if I was, I would want to read this book. Atkins' language is as concise and simple, I suspect, as someone addressing such complex issues could hope to make it. If I, a BA in Literature, fantasy writer could read through this entire little volume and come away richer for it, then anyone can.

[Francisco Luis Benítez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Manual de termodinámica para diletantes. Fácilmente aprensible, pero en algunos momentos se hace difícilmente comprensible. La simplificación de las Leyes de la Termodinámica se hace muy complejo, y más cuando se hace desde la perspectiva de un químico que no de un físico. No obstante, explica muy bien conceptos como el de la entropía, entalpía o la energía libre. Recomendable para entender como funciona el universo y entender la complejidad de los estudios de la cosmología o la física de altas partículas.

[Steven Atkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An explanation of the Laws of thermodynamics, it claims it is aimed at the layperson but I think at least an O Level in Physics is needed to even understand what is being explained, Interesting read but a bit heavy going seems to require a rest to absorb what has been read every couple of pages.
I thought I basically understood these laws and their consiquences, how wrong was I ?
They are deeper and more interesting than I thought, just like reletivity laws, explaining such phenomenon as why absolute zero can't be attained and theorises what would happen if it was!

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best introduction on thermodynamics that I know of. The author goes through all four of the laws of thermodynamics concisely, including their histories and development.

With that said a few minor gripes:
1. I don't recall the arrow of time ever being mentioned - you'd think that would be worth getting across to a reader, concerning the Second Law.
2. Given the book is aimed at the layman, there is probably a little too much mathematics in here.

It's 100 pages and provides a near comprehensive introduction to thermodynamics - worth your time.

[Jeff Selles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four Laws Presented in a Readable Style.

I will recommend this book to anyone interested in the four laws of our universe and the physical laws that affect our every day lives here on earth. I have read about the topic of this book by other authors but this author has made the subject readable and interesting. My favorite law is the LAW of entropy which we can't escape from. I keep imagining that most if not all the secrets of the cosmos can be explained by the four laws. This book is great reading for students and science buffs like me - maybe even scientists.

[María · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este libro me ha ayudado mucho a entender la termodinámica a nivel teórico durante la carrera, de hecho de vez en cuando sigo acudiendo a él para refrescar la memoria.
Considero que en muchos textos no se explica de forma clara y sencilla estos principios, y este libro consigue hacerlo. Es cierto que como lectura ágil o para "desconectar" no lo recomendaría, puesto que entender la termodinámica, bajo mi punto de vista, requiere mucha atención y si se considera, papel y lápiz. Pero generalmente, es muy buen libro para aprender y entender en qué consiste esta maravillosa disciplina.