Book excerpt: This book is designed for a one-semester course, for undergraduates, not necessarily chemistry majors, who need to know something about physical chemistry. The emphasis is not on mathematical rigor, but subtleties and conceptual difficulties are not hidden. It covers the essential topics in physical chemistry, including the state of matter, thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, phase and chemical equilibria, introduction to quantum theory, and molecular spectroscopy. Supplementary materials are available upon request for all instructors who adopt this book as a course text. Please send your request to [email protected].