Peter Atkins is one of the most successful authors of chemical textbooks. To Nachrichten aus der Chemie he speaks about the way teaching will change in the future and why it saddens him that many people go to their graves without understanding the second law of thermodynamics. Nachrichten aus der Chemie: Prof. Atkins, please tell us: what's the secret of a good textbook. Peter Atkins: I try to put myself in the readers' place — to guess where they might have trouble understanding the topic. I also try to guide the reader by sticking to an open, direct, logical route through the subject and not leaving out any steps. The Japanese, I believe, u...