Liquid Rules: The Delightful and Dangerous Substances That Flow Through Our Lives, Paperback

Sometimes explosive, often delicious, occasionally poisonous, but always interesting: the New York Times best-selling author of Stuff Matters show us the secret lives of liquids: the shadow counterpart of our solid "stuff."

We know that we need water to survive, and that a cup of coffee or a glass of wine can feel just as vital. But do we understand how much we rely on liquids, or their destructive power?

Set on a transatlantic flight, 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 Stuff Matters, Mark Miodownik's unique brand of scientific storytelling brings liquids to life in a captivating new way.

MARK MIODOWNIK is professor of materials and society and director of the Institute of Making at University College London. He is the best-selling author of Stuff Matters, winner of the National Academy of Sciences Communication Award for Books and the Royal Society Winton Prize.