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Stuff Matters: Exploring The Marvelous Materials That Shape Our Man-Made World (2014)

by Mark Miodownik(Favorite Author)

4.23 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0544236041 (ISBN13: 9780544236042)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

review 1: In early August, I also finished a recent best seller, Stuff Matters by Mark Miodownik. I can’t say I’ve ever read anything quite like it. Miodownik is a materials scientist residing in London and a professor of materials and society at University College London.The subtitle of the book, “Exploring the Marvelous Materials that Shape Our Man-Made World,” offers a capsule view of what this book is about. Miodownik’s purpose is to explain the history, chemistry, and societal effects of many of our common everyday materials. He does this through a photograph of him sitting and drinking tea on the roof of his London apartment. Each chapter in the book is about one of the objects in the picture.Through the ten primary chapters, Miodownik discusses the history, c... morehemical makeup, properties and importance of (in order) steel, paper, concrete, chocolate, foam (the picture points to his tennis shoes), plastic, glass, graphite (such as pencil lead), porcelain, and a surgical implant.In his chapter on steel, Miodownik begins with the Stone Age and moves from the past forward by the discovery of hardening metal by hitting it, the making of samurai swords in Japan, the Bessemer process and eventually the discovery that adding chromium strengthens the steel.His chapter of paper is broken into subchapters on all the various uses to which paper is applied from note paper, paper records, photographic paper, books, wrapping paper, receipts, envelopes, paper bags, glossy paper, tickets, banknotes, electronic paper, newspapers, and love letters. This seemed like a chapter with great potential as each of these deserved more space. However, as it was, he only briefly described the uses and went on. As such, I felt this was an incomplete, somewhat scatter-shot chapter. I found the chapter on concrete interesting. He explains the difference between concrete and cement. The procedure of inserting steel bars in concrete to get reinforced concrete was quite fascinating. The section on self-healing concrete was completely new to me.Being a lover of chocolate, I read this chapter with great anticipation. His description of the process in which chocolate is made and how confectioners differ the recipe to get different flavors and textures was great fun to read.His chapter on foam isn’t really about just any foam. It’s actually about a substance called aerogel. Aerogel is the lightest solid known. It’s 99.8% air. It is, in essence, a liquid trapped in a solid mesh. Miodownik’s descriptions of its invention and uses make for one good story.His chapter on plastics is written in the form of a series of scenes in a play in which the characters discuss various types and uses of plastics ending with the film industry. His chapter on glass begins with its origins and through advances in strengthening glass, ends with safety glass used in cars and building construction.Miodownik’s chapter on graphite begins with diamonds before actually discussing graphite. Although diamonds and graphite are both formed from carbon, their internal crystalline structure is very different. He eventually ends up discussing is great detail the hexagonal structure of graphite and the creation of carbon fibers, graphene and even buckyballs. Much of this information was eye-opening for me.He winds up his town of his rooftop with chapters on porcelain and surgical implants. The fragility and composition that lead to various types of porcelain were interesting. The chapter on implants dealt with such topics as cloning, combining organic and inorganic material to replace organic parts, and using 3-D printers to build replacement parts.All in all, I found this to be a very interesting and fascinating book on items we encounter every day. I think many people would enjoy Stuff Matters.
review 2: This is a beautifully written book about materials science, and the materials that make up our civilization and lives. Each short section focuses on a material that makes up our world, and concrete, steel, glass, ceramic, polymers, and paper each are discussed from their discovery to their microscopic structure to their macroscopic properties and use in our lives. There are also interesting discussions on diamond, graphite, gels, biomaterials, and fabrics. One section is a love letter to the materials science of chocolate. Several rare and new materials are also discussed, including silica aerogel, graphene, and self-healing concrete. I have to confess that this book touched me very deeply. I think the moment in my life that made me want to be a chemist and study materials was when I found out how the atomic structure of graphite translated into its use as an industrial lubricant. That moment, when the smallest-scale structure reveals property reveals macro-level function, was like unlocking a puzzle, and made the whole world full of mysteries to explore and discover. Miodownik shares this passion, and his love for his subject shines through in this excellent book. I could have happily read further chapters - on paints and coatings, on adhesives, on dyes, on stone - but until then, I strongly recommend what the author has given us. less

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