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

I read Mark Miodownik's book, Liquid Rules: The Delightful and Dangerous Substances That Flow Through Our Lives, with great interest. This book gives practical insights into liquids, things that we constantly see in everyday life but have very subtle physics, chemistry, and biology. The book is organized around a transcontinental plane flight from London to Paris, where the author goes through various liquids that he encounters along the journey, from the engine fuel at the beginning to the soap in the washroom and adhesive in the plane's wings in the middle, and finally to the fog upon landing in San Francisco.I particularly liked a number of the vignettes. For example, I liked how the author discussed surface tension, i.e., the difference between the forces on the liquid surface and those in the internal structure, which leads to a pseudo-tension. I liked the way this was used to explain simple things like the way towels wick away water through microfibers, but also more subtle things like the Marangoni effect and how tears form on the surface of a highly alcoholic wine glass, and finally, how surface tension forms a repulsive spring force when wind pushes against water to give rise to waves. I was also impressed with the many different chemicals that underlie liquids, such as the mixture of alkali and fat to create soap or surfactant, which then create emulsions, and the mixing of two liquids to connect them in the form of an epoxy, or a two-part glue. I also found interesting coolants, particularly CFCs and PFCs. The latter compound is fascinating in that a rat can be completely immersed in it and yet breathe liquid oxygen like a fish.Finally, I was intrigued by the discussion of the ballpoint pen and its ink. This is an example of a non-Newtonian liquid that changes its viscosity with pressure. Here, the fluid flows faster when it is under the pressure of the ballpoint. This allows one to write upside down with the ballpoint pen and keeps the ink from dripping out of the well even though there's no top on it. It also explains why ballpoint ink doesn't leak and doesn't diffuse through paper after it's put down, unlike fountain pen ink.Overall, I found this a very interesting book with useful tidbits on everyday life.

Overall, I liked the book a lot and learned a lot, too. For example, that when you have alcohol on your breath, it's actually coming from your bloodstream via your lungs and not just from your mouth.But I found the storyline with Susan, the author's airplane neighbor, to be a little creepy. At first, the author seemed to be kind of stalking his seat-mate, mixed in with awkward parts like wondering whether it was a faux pas to drool on her shoulder, etc.But then at the end, when it is revealed she is the keynote speaker and this comes as a surprise to the author, you're left to wonder whether he ever would have expected to see a woman in a position of academic knowledge equal to his own, which seems kind of demeaning.I get that the airplane trip is what ties all the different liquids in each chapter together, but the part about Susan as someone the author was trying to impress at least socially if not romantically, could have been done differently or left out altogether.

Well written and very informative

This book did a great job of weaving in the author's journey on an airplane while diverting to describe different properties of liquid. It does not go very deep but it does hit a wide range of liquids including kerosene, adhesives, condiments, pens, paints, tar, wave energy as it transfers through water and much more. Some of the anecdotes will be familiar to people who have read other books/authors (Sam Kean, Simon Winchester, Neil DeGrasse Tyson etc.), but others were new and the style makes it accessible to anyone who is curious as you travel along with the author on his journey. The author also will take familiar concepts and add a nuanced perspective such as his insights on the consequences of ice on top of land and the implications of its melting on tectonic plate elevation or his comparison of a honeycomb to a natural structure that was "3-D printed". These are just two of many examples of the highlights that the author elucidates. I thoroughly enjoyed Stuff Matters and I enjoyed this one even more, as I read it in 3 days because it is relatively short and fun to read. Great book for anyone who is curious about the world around them!

A few months back I read Stuff Matters by Mark Miodownik and I really enjoyed it. I love learning how seemingly mundane and insignificant objects impact our daily lives in a big way.So if you love Stuff Matter, you are going to love Liquid Rules. This time around, Miodownik takes us on a journey, almost literally. We tag along as he takes a transatlantic flight, exploring the various liquids along the way including jet fuel, alcohol, water, glue, tea, and so forth.This book was a fun, enlightening, summer poolside read. Yes, I purposefully read this book in a pool. I guess the next best spot is to read this book on a plane ride.Read this book. You will enjoy it.

On the whole, the book was a worthwhile read. Some parts of the book were super (waves, glue, soap, ink, clouds). The story of the ballpoint pen was particularly well told. Other parts were not as cool (fuels, explosives, alcohol, plastics) - other authors have given them a more interesting story. I was also disappointed about what was missing: the author didn't have a chapter on aqueous solutions, acids, and bases -- and there are a lot of everyday experiences that are connected to solutions.

Loved the book, it was so entertaining and I learned so much!! I totally recommend reading it if you like chemistry

A fairly easily "soft science" read for non scientists about liquids. Was interesting at times but not the best read I've had this season.

A book anyone can enjoy!! Great Great choice

Humorvoller, intelligenter Überblick über alle möglichen alltäglichen, vertrauten Substanzen in diesem Aggregatzustand. In kurzen Teilen oder auf einmal an einem Regentag im Urlaub leicht und unterhaltsam lesbar.

Informative and not too heavy.