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Stuff Matters
Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials That Shape Our Man-Made World | Mark Miodownik, Sarah Scarlett
8 posts | 23 read | 29 to read
New York Times Bestseller New York Times Notable Book 2014 Winner of the Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books A thrilling account of the modern material world. Wall Street Journal "Miodownik, a materials scientist, explains the history and science behind things such as paper, glass, chocolate, and concrete with an infectious enthusiasm." Scientific American Why is glass see-through? What makes elastic stretchy? Why does any material look and behave the way it does? These are the sorts of questions that renowned materials scientist Mark Miodownik constantly asks himself. Miodownik studies objects as ordinary as an envelope and as unexpected as concrete cloth, uncovering the fascinating secrets that hold together our physical world. In Stuff Matters, Miodownik explores the materials he encounters in a typical morning, from the steel in his razor to the foam in his sneakers. Full of enthralling tales of the miracles of engineering that permeate our lives, Stuff Matters will make you see stuff in a whole new way. "Stuff Matters is about hidden wonders, the astonishing properties of materials we think boring, banal, and unworthy of attention...It's possible this science and these stories have been told elsewhere, but like the best chocolatiers, Miodownik gets the blend right." New York Times Book Review
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review
vlwelser
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Pickpick

This dude has a British accent and this is oddly soothing. And I learned things. So, yay!

#audiobook

Prairiegirl_reading I love when the narrator has an accent! 3y
28 likes1 comment
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WorldsOkayestStepMom
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Panpan

I got this book because the blurb sounded interesting. Parts of it were very interesting, like the chapter on carbon (both graphite and diamond) and the chapter on chocolate. You definitely need at least a high school level understanding of science, and parts got too academic for me. I like to read at night as a way to relax and I noticed my mind wandering away a lot.

52 likes1 stack add
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WorldsOkayestStepMom

Tonight's not been great, despite how good I was feeling earlier today. I'm so stressed and withdrawing from a prescription medication and it's really messing with me. Getting lost in the book of stuff so hopefully I can sleep and deal with the hard stuff tomorrow.

LiteraryinLawrence I‘m so sorry you‘re struggling. That sucks. Litsy is here for you! 💗 3y
robinb Hang in there. Thinking of you and hoping tomorrow will be a better day for you. 💕 3y
Eggs Sorry it‘s been rough 🙁 sending prayers and (((hugs))) 3y
See All 6 Comments
Librarybelle ❤️❤️❤️ 3y
Megabooks 💜💜💜 I‘m sorry. Hugs! 3y
Branwen *hugs* Hang in there! Sending lots of love and positive thoughts your way 💕 3y
33 likes6 comments
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AutumnRLS
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9 likes3 stack adds
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Echo
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This has been an interesting read

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Not_Hardly_Alice
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Things are one of my (too) many interests, in particular what things are made of. So this is the book for me. Aaaand a little chunk of chromium ;)
#aprilbookshowers #dropeverythingandread

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TieDyeDude
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This has been on my TBR list for a while. It delivered yesterday with a special stamp my VSauce Curiosity box! Mmmmm, sciency goodness

DivineDiana Love this post! Now, I know about vsauce curiosity box! 7y
8 likes1 comment
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GoneFishing

Some say that eating chocolate is better than kissing, and scientists have dutifully tested this hypothesis...The researchers found that although kissing set the heart pounding, the effect did not last as long as when the participants ate chocolate. The study also showed that when the chocolate started melting, all regions of the brain received a boost far more intense and longer lasting than the brain activity measured while kissing

36 likes1 stack add