The Second Law of Life

Description

It isn’t that they can’t see the solution. It is that they can’t see the problem. – G.K. Chesterton
In this compelling and important book for general science readers, John Schmitz brings order to the world of chaos that surrounds us. The Second Law of Life refers to the second law of thermodynamics, entropy, which is an omnipresent force that quietly and crucially determines many aspects of our society and daily lives. And yet, we are generally unaware of its presence. Unless we understand entropy and how it affects our world, future generations will face the consequences of the unstoppable laws of physics.
Entropy explains the amount of energy no longer capable of conversion into work; in other words, wasted energy or heat loss. Every moment of every day, we lose irreplaceable energy and “modern” technology is not helping. In fact, it is accelerating the problem at a catastrophic rate—and we will ultimately face a “heat death” crisis and the utter destruction of Earth. Even things we are doing to improve the environment may actually be causing more damage than we think. For example, although recycling is environmentally, socially, and politically correct, it is actually a prolific waster of energy; we must look at entire systems, not just parts.
It is critical that we find ways to reduce energy loss. Seeing the problem more clearly will lead to solutions. This fascinating and easily understood journey through the second law of thermodynamics is a step in the right direction.

“This is one of the most personal science based books I’ve ever read, explaining not just the history of the topic, but the author’s own personal journey into discovering it’s wonders and implications for us all. For fellow fans of Carl Sagan’s ‘Cosmos’ TV series on Astrophysics, this book has the same style. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.”– Matt Grimshaw, Future Fab International
Imminently readable, it gives the layman reader an understanding of the fundamental principles of energy as well the urgent issues facing our lives and our planet. It should be read by every intelligent person.– Robert H. Lieberman, Physics Department, Cornell University
The book gives an excellent overview of thermodynamics and entropy…Certainly, the relationship with environmental issues is clear and will hopefully give some people insight into the ideas of recycling.– Martin Heerschop, GE Commercial Finance
As a lay reader, I found John Schmitz’s book on thermodynamics to be fascinating and easy to follow. Schmitz gives the reader a solid understanding of basic thermodynamics theory and the concept of entropy, along with a systematic description of how these ideas were developed and how they relate to everyday life.
– Paul Newman, McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin

PART 1: The Birth of a Beautiful Theory
1. So what is all this talk about entropy?
2. The science of heat and work: Classical Thermodynamics
3. Much more about entropy
4. Link of thermodynamics to modern physics
PART 2: Entropy and Our Society, our Culture, our Planet, and our Universe
5. Entropy, the economic process, and the world’s environmental problems
6. Energy, entropy and life and heat death
7. The use of the concept of entropy in other sciences
Epilogue
Appendix I: Two more laws of thermodynamics?
Appendix II: Another way of looking at entropy
Appendix 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 Timeline
Appendix VII: Can the human body be considered a heat engine?
Appendix VIII: Ways to concentrate energy: nuclear energy, photovoltaic cells, and fuel cells
Appendix IX: Qualitative definitions and descriptions of entropy
Appendix X: Some simple calculations and interesting numbers

Additional information