Laws of Thermodynamics (In Simple English)

First Law: It is impossible to obtain something from nothing, but one may break even

Second Law: One may break even but only at the lowest possible temperature

Third Law: One cannot reach the lowest possible temperature

Implication: It is impossible to obtain something from nothing, so one must optimize resources

This was obtained from one of my thermodynamics reference books from college days. I'm amused at the plain language in the three maxims. A lot of new discussion surrounding energy systems can be cut short if you invoked any of these maxims in it's simplest form and then thought again. 

Citation :
Advanced Thermodynamics Engineering, by K. Annamalai and I. K. Puri, CRC Press.