A reader designed to provide a critical perspective on the meaning and significance of modernity - among the most significant areas of anthropological inquiry.

Statistical Physics II introduces nonequilibrium theories of statistical mechanics from the viewpoint of the fluctuation-disipation theorem. Emphasis is placed on the relaxation from nonequilibrium to equilibrium states, the response of a system to an external disturbance, and general problems involved in deriving a macroscopic physical process from more basic underlying processes. Fundamental concepts and methods are stressed, rather than the numerous individual applications.

Statistical Physics I discusses the fundamentals of equilibrium statistical mechanics, focussing on basic physical aspects. No previous knowledge of thermodynamics or the molecular theory of gases is assumed. Illustrative examples based on simple materials and photon systems elucidate the central ideas and methods.