Biothermodynamics

This book is probably the best one I have reviewed in this field so far, in terms of the depth and breadth of thermodynamic analysis conducted with biological systems. Most books are confined to solution thermodynamics approaches with minimum depth, but this one makes a good effort to be all inclusive. Incorporation of a wide variety of examples is another positive as the readers will be able to enjoy various realistic analyses conducted. Another point I appreciated is that the authors refrained from oversimplification of the example problems just to be able to solve them. I think this is a very good introductory graduate level book for a variety of disciplines. -Alptekin Aksan, University of Minnesota, USA This reviewer has taught undergraduate thermodynamics to mechanical, electrical, and biomedical engineering students. This text, aimed primarily at students who have suffered through a one- or two-semester introduction to thermodynamics, offers an interesting insight into the application of these principles to inquiries involving biological and agricultural systems. Indeed, as the preface indicates, the text has been used for (primarily) mixed graduate students from mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, food engineering, medicine, genetics, and biotechnology. The text is comprised of five chapters and includes a CD that contains several MATLAB examples that are discussed in the text. With the first three chapters establishing an overview of thermodynamics and its application to both inorganic and organic systems, the stage is well set for the final two chapters, which are meant to be supplementary material for related projects based upon this text. Each chapter is well written and liberally filled with examples. Overall, this reviewer highly recommends this text for situations (courses, projects, and research) involving elucidation of the efficiencies of biological processes. It is a good contribution to the literature. --Paul H. King, Vanderbilt University, USA