Von Baeyer combines well written, understandable and fun prose with a sound understanding of the underlying science. I particularly enjoyed his analogy of a scientist as a boy playing on the beach, staring in wonder at the magnificence of creation. Anyone looking for a good popular science book to keep (and re-read) for years should consider this one.

This jewel of a book cannot be given enough praise. Nature is extremely puzzling when viewed from the perspective of modern physics. A few people try to describe these puzzles without relying too much on very abstract and theoretical concepts. Hans Christian von Baeyer is a special one of these, he is one who's writings gain in clarity what they lose in mathematical detail. Well done.

I have wished for a book like this all of my life; I thought I'd never find it. If only there existed authors in all areas of science (& other fields, for that matter) who could summarize the complexities & histories in their respective fields in such a fascinating, accessible, & eloquent way, the world would be a much better place; & if such books were made required reading in public schools & universities, citizens would be more informed & understand their world to a significantly greater extent. I would absolutely be "beside myself" in academic ecstasy, & would treasure all such books--but if asked which one I would take "if stranded alone on a desert island", it would be "Taming the Atom". I cried tears of joy while reading this book; this book facilitated my understanding of various concepts & realities that I could not have obtained otherwise without reading, processing, & synthesizing information from massive amounts of material (& I would not have had the time). I owe a debt (of gratitude) to Dr. von Baeyer which I can never repay; I thank him beyond words for having taken the time to exercise his talent for explanation, & presenting complex concepts & facts in such an accessible, enjoyable, engaging, & fascinating manner; lastly, his writing makes what is priceless, rare, & extremely difficult (aiding in the successful comprehension of a multitude of complex concepts via the written word) seem so easy. I appreciate his work more than I can express. I am in the process of acquiring every book he has written--they will be permanent "residents" in my library, & will be with me for the rest of my life. I am spreading the word of this man's wonderful talent to those who work in various bookstores, & anyone I encounter who has an interest in these sciences (chemistry & physics). If only I could be so fortunate as to have him as a professor, or be privileged to attend any lecture or seminar he might give... I thank him for a book that is so beautiful & important to me; I've loved science all of my life, & always asked "why" when examining the world around me--had a book like this been available to me as a child, I have no doubt that my life today would be very different. I plan to make sure that the public library in the city in which I grew up has a copy of every book Dr. von Baeyer has written, with the personal intention that any child in that city with an interest in science & the means to visit said library, has opportunities @ early comprehension of so much... I thank him & am deeply grateful for his having written this book...

This is an enjoyable history of thermodynamics. Maxwell's Demon does not actually come into it until about half-way through, and then becomes, gradually, the focus. Von Baeyer's approach is to advance his topic short chapter by short chapter. Each chapter treats the work of a man (alas, in science women have not, until recently, played much of a part) as it relates to the growing knowledge of the first and second laws of thermodynamics. The ideas, the experiments, the intellectual milieu, and the subject's life are all fair game in these little essays, and all are treated in a clear, serious, but still light-hearted way. The writing is very pleasing, the author's humane, humorous and cultured personality shines through.

The point of the book, of course, is to explore the Second Law of Thermodynamics, using the Demon invented by the physicist Maxwell. It has proved a remarkably troublesome sprite in spite of all the attempts to exorcise it over the years. Here you will learn some thermodynamics and some history, and when you are done you will have a general idea of the issues swirling around the notion of entropy. After reading this book, you very well might want to get your feet wet in an introductory text on thermodynamics, now that you know some of the issues in play. Or, if you already know some, this will fill in the human background, and may alert you to some current thinking.

One of the current issues is the relationship between the entropy from Information Theory and the entropy from Thermodynamics. As various folks keep trying to conflate them, our author reports on it. The discussion is detailed enough to actually convey some of the ideas that trouble modern researchers, and tantalizing enough to make the reader want to know even more. What else could one want from a popular book on the subject?

Buy this book if you have given any thought to why coffee cools and orange juice always gets warm. This extremely well written book deals with the most important thoughts some of the most outstanding scientific thinkers throughout history have given to our concepts of heat and energy. What is really striking about the book is that it does so in a readily understood manner without resorting to a single formula or diagram. As a relatively young student I was exposed to a course in thermodynamics which left enduring scars on me. I developed a life long distaste for the likes of Carnot, Clausius and Clapeyron. This book has shown me the errors of my ways. Every faculty member who teaches thermodynamics and every student who wishes to really understand thermodynamics should be required to read this book before entropy is ever discussed again in a classroom. The single concern that I have about the book is it's failure to mention the name or contributions of Willard Gibbs.

A beautiful book that explains thermodynamics clearly for the layman. I also purchased the author's other book "Taming the atom" which was yet another masterpiece.

The writing is in the style of Newsweek or Time magazine. That is, it is a popular and accessible style, but one that does not shrink from embellishing a tale with irrelevant (and fictional) details in an attempt to make it seem more interesting.

It is impossible for Von Baeyer to know what Mayer, Boltzmann or Maxwell may have been feeling at any particular juncture in their lives. Although the context within which they reasoned (e.g., the cramped and uncomfortable conditions at sea under which Mayer was working) is important to understand and interesting, Von Baeyer frequently digresses into aggrandized accounts of the intimate details. These are best left to the physicists' own words, and where direct quotes are provided, this book is at its best.

This text is a summary of the historical development of the laws of thermodynamics. It touches on the careers of Newton, Einstein, those mentioned above and others. Because it is broad in its historical sweep, but narrow in its focus on thermodynamics, it is a valuable tool for establishing an intuitive insight into a complicated and sometimes inaccessible subject. Therefore, its greatest value is as an introduction, and a good source of further historical readings.

This is a delightful account of thermodynamics written by an author with profound understanding of the subject. Being a physics/math type myself, I was occasionally frustrated by the absence of diagrams and equations. However, this is a popular account and not meant to be all things to all people on this topic. I'm happy to recommend it.

Anytime you can read a book and it can take an idea you have held about a certain subject (i.e. thermodynamics) and give you a new paradigm, you have found a good book. This is one of them.

It just tweaked my understanding enough to view it in a new, more clear, way. It may not be the most intellectually challenging book and it may be a little light but...so what?

Highly recommended.