In all honesty, I'm not sure how much my students appreciate this, but I at least still appreciate the insights I get! (If only I had found Schroeder's book on Quantum Field Theory as illuminating!) Although I haven't taught an entire class on thermal physics I have drawn on it heavily when teaching units on entropy and heat engines. (whatever - at the time I'm pretty sure it made me feel sick in various vital organs) without it. I used this book intensively while struggling through my graduate Stat Mech class (in retrospect, my undergraduate engineering oriented class on thermodynamics was not adequate preparation), and I'm not sure I would have made it through pancreas.? pathogen.? oh, Pathria. (I wish I knew of a quantum mechanics text book that did this as well.) I also love how the book explains the connections between the microscopic description of statistical physics and macroscopic thermodynamics.
It's very readable - strikes a balance between big picture concepts and calculations. This might be my favorite physics text book ever (on any subject).
