Thermodynamics is a foundational course in multiple subtypes of engineering including chemical, mechanical, aerospace, environmental and civil engineering. Thermodynamics is considered to be one of the most difficult courses an undergraduate engineering major will encounter, and many resources are frequently employed by students in an attempt to master the topic.

Thermodynamics: A Student’s Guide is a walkthrough of thermodynamics for college students encountering the subject for the first time. This book is truly a guide, written in a conversational tone, that anticipates and answers questions that students inevitably will have. This book is quite comprehensive despite its conversational nature and covers the topics taught in a typical one semester undergraduate course in depth. A main feature throughout the book is highlighting typical misunderstandings and errors and how to avoid them.

Dr. Aaron Zachariah Priluck is a glaucoma specialist with a background in chemical engineering and biochemistry. In college, he worked in a research lab applying chemical engineering principles to rational drug design and was hired as a teaching assistant for multiple courses including thermodynamics and chemical reaction engineering. After graduating from college, he went on to medical school at the University of Nebraska and did his ophthalmology residency and glaucoma fellowship at Johns Hopkins.