On the side of chance

This book tackles one of science’s great paradigms—the relationship between chance and determinism—with clarity and often a touch of wit. Through concrete examples (from dice rolls to the safety of a flight) the author demonstrates how probability becomes the tool for measuring uncertainty, even when events aren’t truly random but simply unknown. […] With a brilliant approach that blends scientific rigor and humour, the book contrasts classical thermodynamics—with its laws, Gibbs energy, spontaneous transformations, and the equilibrium—with Boltzmann’s statistical thermodynamics, where the impossibility of a transformation is linked to its probability. This is a text that challenges readers to rethink their convictions, making it essential for anyone seeking cultural growth.

– Oliviero Carugo, University of Pavia, Italy