Ludwig Boltzmann pioneered the theory for statistical physics. So much so that his Boltzmann equation defined the field. During his lifetime, he wrote many publications regarding his theory. Toward the end of his life, he wrote this book to bring everything together. The book does not represent a modern presentation of statistical physics, but rather insight into the mind and thinking of Ludwig Boltzmann as he developed the original theory. The translator's introduction gives a very good overview of the history of kinetic theory that preceded Boltzmann, and the schools of scientific thought that Boltzmann debated during his lifetime.