snoakes7001's review against another edition
5.0
In Liquid Rules Mark Miodownik makes us take a second look at some common liquids that we routinely take for granted. He uses a flight he took from London to San Fransisco as the structure of the book. This allows him to explore a diverse range of liquids including the kerosene that allows the plane to fly, water in the oceans the flight crosses, the ink in a ballpoint pen and the drinks served on the plane among many others. The very state of being a liquid, somewhere between a solid and a gas, means liquids sometimes behave in quite strange ways, but some have even more incredible properties.
Full of fascinating facts, it's an easy read that's not too heavy on the science but is full of wonder about the world.
Full of fascinating facts, it's an easy read that's not too heavy on the science but is full of wonder about the world.
sfreund's review against another edition
4.0
A fun read because of the way science is woven into a story. The story isn't anything special, but it keeps your more engaged than know at facts being spilled into your face.
anetq's review against another edition
3.0
Maybe I'm being unfair and I ought to give this 4 stars, as it wasn't bad, it just really wasn't as good as the amazing [b:Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials That Shape Our Man-Made World|18222843|Stuff Matters Exploring the Marvelous Materials That Shape Our Man-Made World|Mark Miodownik|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1382416634l/18222843._SY75_.jpg|25332648] - which I really recommend to anyone!
Maybe I was expecting too much, but this just wasn't as good or elegant, and worse: It didn't really seem to teach me, what it wanted, what I remember mostly from this is the slightly annoying frame narrative of a transatlantic flight. Stuff Matters actually taught a lot about materials and their properties. This goes through types of liquids and their properties but it seems to be missing a red thread to help one remember, or at least my brain just goes 'think, thin, flammable, temperature = speed of moving molecules, mkay'. Sadly a little more boring textbook, than fascinating storytelling to make one read up on science, when one could be enjoying a better story elsewhere...
Maybe I was expecting too much, but this just wasn't as good or elegant, and worse: It didn't really seem to teach me, what it wanted, what I remember mostly from this is the slightly annoying frame narrative of a transatlantic flight. Stuff Matters actually taught a lot about materials and their properties. This goes through types of liquids and their properties but it seems to be missing a red thread to help one remember, or at least my brain just goes 'think, thin, flammable, temperature = speed of moving molecules, mkay'. Sadly a little more boring textbook, than fascinating storytelling to make one read up on science, when one could be enjoying a better story elsewhere...
maddyb001's review against another edition
5.0
I really liked the set up of the book because it really showed the role liquids have in our everyday lives. The book was easy to follow along but filled with enough facts and technical details to grab the attention of readers at all levels.