A number of thermodynamic books claiming to be original in both presentation and approach have been published. However, thermodynamics is still a confusing subject for uninitiated students and an “easy-to-forget” one for graduate engineers. In order to solve these problems, this computer aided learning package — textbook and CD-ROM — takes a new approach.

This package is unique and beneficial in that it simulates a classroom lecture: it actually writes important equations and concepts on a virtual board, underlines, draws circles, places ticks to emphasise important points, draws arrows to indicate relationships, uses colours for visual effect, erases some parts to write new lines, and even repeats some parts of the lesson to stress their importance. This realistic simulation is made possible by the employment of the multimedia capabilities of the modern-day computer. Readers are not just passively presented with thermodynamics, they can also interactively select and repeat any particular topic of interest as many times as they want. This flexibility allows readers to choose their own pace of presentation. This complementary set is in many important respects better than the books that are currently available on the subject.