His book, Fundamentals of Statistical and Thermal Physics (often abbreviated simply as "Reif"), is not a casual beach read. First published in 1965, it remains the gold standard for bridging the gap between introductory thermodynamics and hardcore statistical mechanics.
But is it worth the struggle? Absolutely. Here is why. Unlike traditional thermodynamics books that start with the Laws of Thermodynamics as postulates, Reif does something revolutionary. He starts with the atom. fundamentals of statistical and thermal physics by f. reif
After finishing Reif, you will no longer see a cup of coffee cooling on a desk. You will see (10^{23}) molecules exploring their phase space, fluctuating toward equilibrium, driven by the inexorable increase of entropy. His book, Fundamentals of Statistical and Thermal Physics
He argues: If you believe matter is made of atoms, you should be able to derive the laws of heat and work from first principles. Absolutely