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22 of 24 found the following review helpful:
 Good, but not great Oct 02, 2005
By dxmnkd316
First let me stress, this subject is hard, very hard. This may very well be the toughest subject you take in college. Regarding the book, it has some very strong points, and some very week points.
Pros:
1. There are some good examples
2. Answers to some difficult, multiple part problems are given (under the problems which is quite handy) so that you can complete later parts of a problem if you are not able to solve the early parts.
3. Figures used in text are well defined and labeled very well.
4. Problems are well organized and titled based upon the material they cover.
5. There are few, if any, pictures, figures, or other useless graphics or material that so many textbook writers include, that add virtually nothing to the learning of the subject at hand. This is very nice because it keeps the weight of the textbook relatively low, and does not force you to scan through the 'fluff' to find the pertinent information.
Cons:
1. Unit conversion tables are unconventional, awkward, and are very limited. Some students may have conversions memorized, however, this is not always the case, and for some obscure units, the conversions are not given and must be found elsewhere.
2. Examples are hit or miss. As I said, there are some good examples, however, there are some that are not very useful.
3. Problems can be somewhat cryptic, and not at all straightforward.
4. Sometimes skips key steps in derivations leading to confusing results.
5. Chapter reviews are nonexistent. It would be very nice if there were a list of important equations, definitions, and key concepts at the end of each chapter.
I understand that this is a very tough subject, especially if this is the first time seeing the material. When I took this course at the University of Minnesota, I knew it was going to be difficult, and this book did help me learn the material, however, this book really could be better.
I would recommend this book only if you have completed a course in multivariable calculus (you must understand multivariable calculus very well), linear algebra, a strong background in physics, experience in physical chemistry including thermodynamics. Some experience or coursework in quantum mechanics would also be very useful.
10 of 10 found the following review helpful:
 Absolutely the best book I've used in Chemical Engineering May 06, 1999
By Ethan Creech
This book progresses quite rapidly through the various topics; usually begining with a one dimentional analysis and then proceding to more general treatment. This more general treatment tends to consist of Tensor analysis which is explained to a working extent in an appendix. However, after these general equations have been derived they are only refefered to by there location out of a comprehensive chart. Furthermore, the student is trained to use intuition in their approach to problem solving.In general the text is incredibly consistant and well written. The examples and problems grow from a relitively basic level to those that can only be solved with advanced engineering Mathematics. The progression builds on itself in a nice way.
6 of 6 found the following review helpful:
A true chemical engineering classic Aug 28, 2007
By Vivek Sharma
"Kavi"
Transport Phenomenon by Bird, Stewart and Lightfoot is one of the most useful chemical engineering textbook ever written. For nearly five decades now, many chemical engineers have lived by what they learned first through this book. The revised edition makes the book current, though 1960 edition is great introduction to the mass, heat and energy and/or momentum transfer problems.
The basis idea of the book is simple: list the equations useful for a system of problems, say in mass transfer; provide set of assumptions used to arrive at those; suggest possible solutions to the differential equations for practical industry conditions; use correlations derived by researchers where real time data is unavailable and lastly, learn how to adapt solutions for different set of conditions. The book attempts to make problem solving into a set of instructions to be followed, and by sticking to the fundamental assumptions and equations allows one to attack a range of problems relevant to fields as diverse as diffusion transport, biochemical processes, condensation problems for atmospheric physics, chemical kinetics, heat conduction, petroleum extraction and flow of fluids relevant to many processing industries.
We often hailed it as the Bible of Chemical Engineering. Every now and then, (nearly a decade after we first read it) I still hear people say: this problem, or something like it, was in BSL, (the acronym awarded to the book after its authors). Be it Transport texts by Deen or Middleman typically used for graduate school courses, or Incompressible Flow by Patton, the recourse to understanding problems first hand through BSL is always rewarding.
The book comes with a number of solved and unsolved problems. There is no short-cut to becoming a good chemical engineer, except by mastering the art and science of attacking problems. By going through the book meticulously right in your first course, (for in most cases, this is the first chemical engineering text encountered), you can ensure that you will do well in your whole education as chemical engineer.
Recommended reference for all chemical engineers.
10 of 12 found the following review helpful:
World Traveler Oct 07, 2000
By Andrew M. Ward
"award53"
This is one of the few MUST HAVE books for Chemical Engineers doing process engineering. When I travel (for work) I always take "Transport Phenomena" (aka BSL), The GPA Databook and "Rules of Thumb for Chemical Engineers". When all the simple solutions to a problem have been exhausted, I pull out BSL, find an end-chapter problem similar to my own and work from there. A Practical Tip: The best thing to do with "Rules of Thumb for Chemical Engineers" is to carefuly remove the binding and put it into a 3-hole notebook (e.g., the GPA databook) and then file all the classic process design articles with the appropriate chapters.
10 of 12 found the following review helpful:
A Masterpiece May 10, 2004
I first used BS&L over 30 years ago for my first Transport classes in Chemical Engineering. It's depth and breadth is such that it was a primary text for four other courses I took later in grad school. I pulled the book out a couple of days ago to review my understanding of heat transfer to help explain it to some youngsters. To those who complain that it has too much math...take up a new field. Math and science are inextricably linked. Science isn't just your high school teacher babbling about ecology and the "circle of life". This is hard science, the kind that builds nations and brings societies out of disease-infested environments. If you're using this text and can't take the heat, better get out of the kitchen.
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