Bernhard Wessling: Short review of the book

Entropy and Systainability

by Michael Köhler, Jenny Stanford Publishing 2026

Early 2026, Michael Köhler published a book entitled “Entropy and Sustainability”.¹ It provides a clear and quite complete introduction into equilibrium and non-equilibrium thermodynamics (even though the latter one was named “far-equilibrium” instead of “far-from-equilibrium” thermodynamics). Especially the ebook version is a very helpful medium for becoming introduced to thermodynamic principles, including the role of entropy and its connection with sustainability. This is something which is – to my knowledge – completely missing for advanced high-school or basic introductory courses in universities.

But the book is limited to a qualitative level. The reader will not learn to apply entropy to a practical case with relation to sustainability. The book does not deliver methods or examples how to quantitatively judge sustainability, nor how to compare certain products or processes with their alternatives in order to determine, which one of the alternatives is more sustainable.

The book price is quite high, but especially the ebook with its internal linking capabilities and its very eductional graphics shows which efforts have been behind its layout.