An understanding of thermal physics is crucial to much of modern physics chemistry & engineering This book provides a modern introduction to the main principles that are foundational to thermal physics thermodynamics & statistical mechanics The key concepts are carefully presented in a clear way & new ideas are illustrated with copious worked examples as well as a description of the historical background to their discovery Applications are presented to subjects as diverse as stellar astrophysics information & communication theory condensed matter physics & climate change Each chapter concludes with detailed exercises The second edition of this popular textbook maintains the structure & lively style of the first edition but extends its coverage of thermodynamics & statistical mechanics to include several new topics including osmosis diffusion problems Bayes theorem radiative transfer the Ising model & Monte Carlo methods New examples & exercises have been added throughout