《伽利略的手指》引领着读者踏上非凡的旅途，沿途与当今十个核心科学思想相拥。彼得•阿特金斯在书中写道：“借助伟大的思想——我是指一种有着极其丰富的内涵和外延的简单概念，稚嫩的思想的种子。能成长并繁衍为枝繁叶茂的栋梁之材，而思想的蜘蛛，编织硕大的蛛网，网罗解释与阐释之盛宴。”借助优美、智慧的语言以及诲人不倦的精神，阿特金斯带领着读者逐步走向对科学全貌本质的理解：从进化和复杂性的萌芽到宇宙中一切变化之源——熵；从计量的普遍化——能量，到美学的量化——对称性；以及从现实世界的拓展一宇宙学，到事物相互作用的舞台——耐空。

From the sudden expansion of a cloud of gas or the cooling of a hot metal, to the unfolding of a thought in our minds and even the course of life itself, everything is governed by the four Laws of Thermodynamics. These laws specify the nature of 'energy' and 'temperature', and are soon revealed to reach out and define the arrow of time itself: why things change and why death must come. In this Very Short Introduction Peter Atkins explains the basis and deeper implications of each law, highlighting their relevance in everyday examples. Using the minimum of mathematics, he introduces concepts such as entropy, free energy, and to the brink and beyond of the absolute zero temperature. These are not merely abstract ideas: they govern our lives. In this concise and compelling introduction Atkins paints a lucid picture of the four elegant laws that, between them, drive the Universe.

10th Revised edition

本书是第一推动丛书出版20年来“综合系列”的合订本，包括：《皇帝新脑》、《数学：确定性的丧失》、《四维旅行》、《逻辑的引擎》、《莎士比亚、牛顿和贝多芬：不同的创造模式)》、《未来50年》、《伽利略的手指》、《宇宙极问——量子、信息和宇宙》、《下一步是什么——未来科学的报告》、《复杂》。

《化学元素周期王国(第2版)/科学大师佳作系列》编著者的彼得·阿特金斯。
元素周期表是化学中最重要的概念，它清楚地表明了化学元素彼此间存在的诸多关系。了解周期表对每一位希望认识世界、并弄清世界是怎样由化学的基本结构单元——化学元素所构成的人来说非常重要。任何试图以科学家的眼光来熟悉世界的人都应该认识周期表的全貌，这是重要的科学修养。
《化学元素周期王国(第2版)/科学大师佳作系列》将化学元素周期表比拟成一个有山有水的自然王国，并借用地理学上的许多术语对王国进行描述。其中，穿插介绍了有关这一领域内存在的各种不同的学术观点，以及最新的研究成果，读来饶有趣味。
这是一本非常精彩的科普读物。

Quantum mechanics embraces the behaviour of all known forms of matter, including the atoms and molecules from which we, and all living organisms, are composed. Molecular Quantum Mechanics leads us through this absorbing yet challenging subject, unravelling those fundamental physical principles which explain how all matter behaves. With the clarity of exposition and rich pedagogy which have established the book as a leading text in the field, Molecular Quantum Mechanics takes us from the foundations of quantum mechanics, through quantum models of atomic, molecular, and electronic structure, and on to discussions of spectroscopy, and the electronic and magnetic properties of molecules. Lucid explanations and illuminating artworks help to visualise the many abstract concepts upon which the subject is built. Fully updated to reflect the latest advances in computational techniques, and enhanced with more mathematical support and worked examples than ever before, Molecular Quantum Mechanics remains the ultimate resource for those wishing to master this important subject. Supplementary resources Online Resource Centre, featuring: Illustrations available to download Solutions manual available to download [instructors only]

Covers all the aspects of the subject in a clear, accessible, mathematics-free style
Shows how physical chemists think about their subject and borrow ideas from physics to explain the phenomena
Ideal for chemistry students and the general reader looking to learn more about the subject
Demonstrates the central contributions physical chemistry makes towards our understanding of chemical concepts and the natural world
Part of the best-selling Very Short Introductions series, with over six million copies sold worldwide
With the development of a variety of exciting new areas of research involving computational chemistry, nano- and smart materials, and applications of the recently discovered graphene, there can be no doubt that physical chemistry is a vitally important field. It is also perceived as the most daunting branch of chemistry, being necessarily grounded in physics and mathematics and drawing as it does on quantum mechanics, thermodynamics, and statistical thermodynamics.
With his typical clarity and hardly a formula in sight, Peter Atkins' Very Short Introduction explores the contributions physical chemistry has made to all branches of chemistry. Providing an insight into its central concepts Atkins reveals the cultural contributions physical chemistry has made to our understanding of the natural world.

The bestselling textbook inorganic chemistry text on the market covers both theoretical and descriptive aspects of the subject, and emphasizes experimental methods, industrial applications, and modern topics.

Most people remember chemistry from their schooldays as largely incomprehensible, a subject that was fact-rich but understanding-poor, smelly, and so far removed from the real world of events and pleasures that there seemed little point, except for the most introverted, in coming to terms with its grubby concepts, spells, recipes, and rules. Peter Atkins wants to change all that. In this Very Short Introduction to Chemistry, he encourages us to look at chemistry anew, through a chemist's eyes, in order to understand its central concepts and to see how it contributes not only towards our material comfort, but also to human culture. Atkins shows how chemistry provides the infrastructure of our world, through the chemical industry, the fuels of heating, power generation, and transport, as well as the fabrics of our clothing and furnishings. By considering the remarkable achievements that chemistry has made, and examining its place between both physics and biology, Atkins presents a fascinating, clear, and rigorous exploration of the world of chemistry - its structure, core concepts, and exciting contributions to new cutting-edge technologies.

Come on a journey into the heart of matter -- and enjoy the process! -- as a brilliant scientist and entertaining tour guide takes you on a fascinating voyage through the Periodic Kingdom, the world of the elements. The periodic table, your map for this trip, is the most important concept in chemistry. It hangs in classrooms and labs throughout the world, providing support for students, suggesting new avenues of research for professionals, succinctly organizing the whole of chemistry. The one hundred or so elements listed in the table make up everything in the universe, from microscopic organisms to distant planets. Just how does the periodic table help us make sense of the world around us? Using vivid imagery, ingenious analogies, and liberal doses of humor P. W. Atkins answers this question. He shows us that the
is a systematic place. Detailing the geography, history and governing institutions of this imaginary landscape, he demonstrates how physical similarities can point to deeper affinities, and how the location of an element can be used to predict its properties. Here's an opportunity to discover a rich kingdom of the imagination kingdom of which our own world is a manifestation.

本书由南京大学侯文华教授组织翻译，译自Peter Atkins，Julio de Paula 著《物理化学》（第11版）（牛津大学出版社，2018年）。全书分19个主题，每个主题下有若干个专题。书后附有资源部分内容。本教材可作为化学化工类专业的物理化学双语教材，亦可作为其他相关专业的教学参考书，以及供有关科研单位和工程技术人员参考使用。

The delightful Wickedness of Clive Barker's Hell
waits for its victims in more than mere puzzle boxes.
It waits in the mystery of crystal lifeforms
lightyears away. It waits in seductive whispers of
evil at a Parisian artists' colony. It waits in the
notes a musical genius plays on the way to madness.
Inside these pages, Hell waits for you--
and it can afford to be patient.

It has eternity on its side.


Contents:
The Crystal Precipice by Jan Strnad, Steve Buccellato, Stan Drake
The Blood of a Poet by R.J.M. Lofficier, John Ridgeway
Songs of Metal and Flesh by Peter Atkins, Dave Dorman, Lurene Haines