Liquid rules : the delightful and dangerous substances that flow through our lives

Title:

Author:

Summary:

Liquids can be explosive, delicious, occasionally poisonous, but Miodownik always finds them interesting. In showing us how much we rely on liquids, and the destructive power they hold, he offers a fascinating tour of these formless substances, told through the language of molecules, droplets, heartbeats, and ocean waves. From the volcanoes of Iceland, the frozen expanse of Greenland, to the marvelous California coastline, you'll come to see liquids as substances of wonder and fascination, and to understand their potential for death and destruction. -- Adapted from jacket.

General Note:

Originally published under the title Liquid in Great Britain by Penguin Books, 2018.

Edition:

First U.S. edition.

Contents:

Explosive -- Intoxicating -- Deep -- Sticky -- Fantastic -- Visceral -- Refreshing -- Cleansing -- Cooling -- Indelible -- Cloudy -- Solid -- Sustainable.

Physical Description:

xv, 232 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm

Subject Term:

Liquids.

Matter -- Properties.

Chemistry

Publisher:

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt,

Publication Date:

2019

ISBN:

9780544850194

Publication Information:

Boston : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, [2019]

Call Number:

530.4 MIODOWN

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003393207	Adult Nonfiction	530.4 MIODOWN	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

Sometimes explosive, often delicious, occasionally poisonous, and always fascinating: the New York Times bestselling author of Stuff Matters offers an "entertaining discussion of the various ways our lives are enriched by fluids" (The Wall Street Journal). We know that we need water to survive, and that, for some of us, a cup of coffee or a glass of wine can feel just as vital. But do we really understand how much we rely on liquids, or their destructive power? Set on one of the author's transatlantic flights, Liquid Rules offers readers a tour of these formless substances, told through the language of molecules, droplets, heartbeats, and ocean waves. We encounter fluids within the plane--from hand soap to liquid crystal display screens--and without: in the volcanoes of Iceland, the frozen expanse of Greenland, and the marvelous California coastline. We come to see liquids with wonder and fascination, and to understand their potential for death and destruction. Just as in his bestselling, award-winning Stuff Matters, Mark Miodownik's unique brand of scientific storytelling brings his subject to life in ways that will inform and amuse science buffs and lay readers alike.

Author Notes

MARK MIODOWNIK is a professor of materials and society at University College London, and director of the Institute of Making. His first book, Stuff Matters, was a New York Times bestseller and won the National Academy of Sciences Communication Award and the Royal Society Winton Prize.

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

In this informative, casual narrative, Miodownik (Stuff Matters), a science professor at University College London, gives a guided tour of the strange, wondrous liquids that flow through everyday life. He compresses myriad science lessons into one transatlantic flight on the theory that "there is no better way to illustrate the power and delight we gain from controlling liquids than by taking a look at those involved in the flight of an airplane and the experience of the passengers onboard." From beverage cart and lavatory to sky and tarmac, he finds stories waiting in every conceivable corner. Tea, for instance, started its existence as an assortment of "shoots on a seemingly unremarkable evergreen shrub" which modern-day humans' ancestors didn't notice for millennia. Wine is a vessel for the "dissolved ethanol you're about to consume." Overhead air conditioning exists thanks to "some of the most dangerous liquids on the planet." Even the humble ink needed to fill out a customs form is a marvel, because flowing and solidifying in the right order, and consistently and fast, "is much trickier than it looks." This popular science work straightforwardly and clearly explains "the mysterious properties of liquids and how we have come to rely on them" in a novel, engaging manner. (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Library Journal Review

Miodownik writes an engaging companion to his previous book, Stuff Matters, painting a picture of our relationship with liquids ("a form of matter in which molecules swim around") via a narrative cleverly structured around a transatlantic flight. The volume includes many hands-on examples, not surprising coming from the director of the Institute of Making (Univ. Coll. London). Some of these are funny as well as instructive, such as when inadvertently drooling on his seat mate while sleeping on a flight leads to a discussion of bodily fluids. The one-word chapter titles concisely describe many of the characteristics of liquids: explosive, sticky, refreshing, fantastic, and sustainable. Each chapter discusses the chemistry (with many illustrations of chemical structures), as well as the physics, biology, history, and social impact of different types of liquids, from kerosene to mucus. Along the way, Miodownik dispels common myths relating to liquids and introduces overlooked scientists such as student Alfred Nobel's professor, Ascanio Sobrero, who first synthesized nitroglycerin. VERDICT This imminently readable book straddles both science and social science and should be enjoyable to readers of high school age through adult.-Sara R. Tompson, Lawrence, KS © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.