This is the first book to logically present the major problems of the vitreous state within the framework of irreversible thermodynamics. Filled with elementary explanations for difficult problems, this easily understood text/reference treats in detail the criteria of glass transition, the peculiarities of relaxing structural parameters, and the Prigogine-Defay ratio. Based on the author's rigorous generalization of the Second Law for non-equilibrium, the book systematizes all known thermodynamic data for glasses and melts. The thermodynamic essence of structural relaxation and memory effects...