Product Description
The worldwide bestseller Thermodynamics: An Engineering Approach brings further refinement to an approach that emphasizes a physical understanding of the fundamental concepts of thermodynamics. The authors offer an engineering textbook that “talks directly to tomorrow’s engineers in a simple yet precise manner, that encourages creative thinking, and is read by the students with interest and enthusiasm”. Over 500 new or revised homework problems have been added to… More >>
Thermodynamics: An Engineering Approach with Student Resource DVD
Tags: creative thinking, fundamental concepts, homework problems, precise manner, refinement, student resource, textbook, thermodynamics an engineering approach, worldwide bestseller
#1 by C. Sisson on June 26, 2010 - 9:03 am
I used the book for Thermo I and was fairly pleased. The book contains many examples as well as many problems to work out. I had a professor that tested mainly on class notes, but the book still made a nice companion to the course. My only complaint with the text is that, in many chapters, the example problems within the chapter are not of the same degree of difficulty as some of the problems at the end of the chapter.
Rating: 4 / 5
#2 by my pen name on June 26, 2010 - 11:04 am
This book is very similar to the previous editions, however the property tables in the back are updated and the previous editions were very good. I too am a college student, I actually had Dr. Boles for Thermo. The book is clear, explains difficult material well, takes advantage of ees, and the problems are generally realistic. The characteristic that sets this book apart is the amount of real world examples instead of so much theoretical BS that comes with many other books.
Rating: 5 / 5
#3 by Wavy Crockett on June 26, 2010 - 11:07 am
The text is easy to read, well-written, and not that boring, which are all essential to keep a reader interested and attentive. The examples are pretty good. The only down side to this book is that you have to constantly flip back to the appendix to look up material property values in order to solve problems, but other than that, it’s a book I recommend.
Rating: 5 / 5
#4 by David on June 26, 2010 - 12:25 pm
I took Thermodynamics this past summer and I can honestly say this is one of the best textbooks I’ve ever owned. Each chapter has relevant and useful figures and a chapter summary at the end with all the important equations for quick reference or brush-up before an exam. I thought the layout of the examples was quite helpful – each example has an accompanying figure and a brief, qualitative discussion of the problem.
Also, since this is a 2008 edition all the discussions of concepts refer to current, real-world examples. At the end of each chapter, there is a Topic of Special Interest which is useful reading if you have the time (For example, Chapter 9, Gas Power Cycles has its Topic of Special Interest as ‘Saving Fuel and Money by Driving Sensibly.’) All in all, I think this textbook goes the extra mile compared to many other textbooks on the market. You will not be disappointed! It also comes with an interactive DVD to serve as a visual aid for concepts.
Finally, to the person who said this is a “bad book”, I have not checked out the previous edition but my Professor gave us the option to use the new edition or the older edition. He gave students the problem numbers for the previous edition since they were just changed around in both books. It is a little bit more expensive, but definitely a worthy addition to any engineer’s bookshelf.
Rating: 5 / 5
#5 by calvinnme on June 26, 2010 - 2:48 pm
This book is sufficient for two semester-long courses in undergraduate thermodynamics. The preface says that calculus and freshman physics are sufficient prerequisites, but I think courses in statics and chemistry wouldn’t hurt either considering the depth of material.
The book’s explanations are quite detailed with worked out examples at frequent intervals and numerous end of chapter exercises. There are answers to selected end of chapter exercises, but not solutions. In other words, there is only the numerical answer present, not how it was derived.
The book tries to use real world examples as the bases for its numerical examples, and it keeps the focus on the practical. It does not get bogged down in derivations. The emphasis here is on engineering. Often chapters will have “Topic of Special Interest” sections in which a current engineering problem is discussed within the context of thermodynamics and specifically, the computational subject just explained. One such topic, for example, is reducing the price of compressed air in chapter 7, whose subject is entropy.
I’d say this book is ideal not only for traditional classes but for self-teaching since it is largely self-contained. If you use it as a textbook and you plan to be a practicing civil, mechanical, or environmental engineer do plan on retaining it as a reference. It is definitely a keeper.
Rating: 5 / 5