▁to ▁describe ▁the ▁Ein stein ▁model , ▁the ▁two - state ▁system , ▁and ▁the ▁polym er ▁model . ▁After wards , ▁the ▁different ▁statistical ▁ens emb les ▁are ▁discussed ▁from ▁which ▁the ▁therm od ynam ics ▁potential s ▁are ▁derived . ▁Quant um ▁flu ids ▁and ▁fl uct u ations ▁are ▁also ▁discussed . ▁ ▁The ▁last ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁text ▁is ▁a ▁brief ▁discussion ▁on ▁symmetry ▁and ▁the ▁concept ual ▁found ations ▁of ▁therm ost at istics . ▁In ▁the ▁final ▁chapter , ▁C allen ▁adv ances ▁his ▁th esis ▁that ▁the ▁symmet ries ▁of ▁the ▁fundamental ▁laws ▁of ▁physics ▁under lie ▁the ▁very ▁found ations ▁of ▁therm od ynam ics ▁and ▁see ks ▁to ▁ill uminate ▁the ▁cru cial ▁role ▁therm od ynam ics ▁plays ▁in ▁science . ▁ ▁C allen ▁advis es ▁that ▁a ▁one - sem ester ▁course ▁for ▁advanced ▁under grad u ates ▁should ▁cover ▁the ▁first ▁seven ▁chap ters ▁plus ▁chap ters ▁ 1 5 ▁and ▁ 1 6 ▁if ▁time ▁perm its . ▁ ▁Second ▁edition ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁The ▁second ▁edition ▁provides ▁a ▁descript ive ▁account ▁of ▁the ▁therm od ynam ics ▁of ▁critical ▁phen omena , ▁which ▁progress ed ▁dram atically ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁Draw ing ▁on ▁feedback ▁from ▁students ▁and ▁instruct ors , ▁C allen ▁improved ▁many ▁explan ations , ▁explicitly ▁solved ▁examples , ▁and ▁added ▁many ▁exer cis es , ▁many ▁of ▁which ▁have ▁complete ▁or ▁partial ▁answers