Extended Irreversible Thermodynamics

Author: David Jou i Mirabent, José Casas Vázquez and Georgy Lebon. David Jou is professor of Condensed Matter Physics at UAB. He is a prolific writer of scientific essays and poetry. José Casas is lecturer of Condensed Matter Physics at UAB. Both academics are experts in the research of thermodynamics in irreversible processes and non-equilibrium systems. Georgy Lebon is professor at University of Liege.

Summary: With more than 750 citations, this is the fourth edition of the acclaimed work on Extended Irreversible Thermodynamics, a theory that goes beyond the local equilibrium thermodynamics of Onsager and Prigogine. It is a generalisation of the equations of transport of mass, movement, electric charge and energy to high speed disturbances and miniaturised systems, which are increasingly becoming of technological interest due to developments in nanotechnology; developments which did not exist at the time of publication of the first edition of this work.

Publisher: Springer Year of issue: 2010

Galileo Galilei's Discourses. Fracture Resistance in Bodies

Author: Adaptation by Lourdes Figueiras. Lecturer at UAB, Figueiras earned a bachelor's degree in Mathematics and a PhD in Didactics of Mathematics. Her lines of research focus on the training of mathematics teachers from primary to secondary education and on the dissemination and communication of mathematics.

Summary: Galileo Galilei's Discourses are one of the classic works in the history of physics. They were written in Italian rather than Latin - as was the custom - so as to be able to reach more than just the academic public. Galileo explains his advances in physics through dialogues between three people, the expert Salviati and laypersons Sagredo and Simplicius, who disagree with the former. His work is replete with examples and mental experiments which he challenges readers to imagine carrying out themselves. This particular edition offers the first two discourse sessions with an adaptation of the text and comic book illustrations.

Publisher: Sirius Year of issue: 2009

La expresión de las emociones (The expression of the emotions)

Author:

Introduction and translation by Dr Xavier Bellés (Barcelona, 1952), research professor at CSIC and director of Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra). He has published and edited over twenty books and more than 250 research papers. His contributions to the dissemination of scientific information have earned him the Scientific Literature Prize from the Catalan Research Foundation (Barcelona, 2003) and the Bronze Prism awarded by Casa de la Ciencias for the best unpublished work (A Coruña, 2009).

Summary: The objective of The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, which according to Jesús Mosterín in the book's prologue is one of the most fascinating books written by Charles Darwin, was to describe the main expressive actions in humans and other animals, mainly primates and domestic animals (dogs, cats, horses, etc.) and explain the origin and development of these actions. The comparison of results allowed Darwin to identify different universal facial expressions, which point to a common origin and give support to the theory of evolution by means of natural selection, which is what Darwin aimed to demonstrate.

Publisher: Laetoli Year of issue: 2009

Entre el folklore i la història. Temps atmosfèric, cultura i societat als segles XVII i XVIII.

Author: Author: Francesc Roma i Casanovas, Catalan historian and geographer. He studied contemporary history and sociology. During the period of his research about hiking in Catalonia, he earned his doctoral degree in Geography, first from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and later from the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris.

Summary: In the 18th century, when a dark cloud neared a village, it was common practice for the villagers to unite in the church, begin a series of rituals and for the priest to conjure good weather. This work states the hypothesis that during the 17th and 18th centuries, structural changes in rural Catalonia gave way to a new Christianisation of the landscape, which manifested in the new types of devotion such as those dedicated to Saint Isidor, Saint Michael of the Saints or Saint Ignatius.

Publisher: Bubok Year of issue: 2009