Liquid Rules

The Delightful and Dangerous Substances That Flow Through Our Lives

By: Mark Miodownik

Narrated by: Michael Page

Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

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

We all know that without water we couldn't survive, and that sometimes a cup of coffee or a glass of wine feels just as vital. But do we really understand how much we rely on liquids, or the destructive power they hold? Set over the course of a flight from London to San Francisco, Liquid Rules offers listeners a fascinating tour of these formless substances, told through the language of molecules, droplets, heartbeats, and ocean waves. Throughout the trip, we encounter fluids within the plane - from a seemingly ordinary cup of tea to a liquid crystal display screen - and without, in the volcanoes of Iceland, the frozen expanse of Greenland, and the marvelous California coastline. We come to see liquids as substances of 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 and their mysterious properties to life in a captivating new way.

©2019 Mark Miodownik (P)2019 Recorded Books

Fascinating

An eye-opening, mind-bending look at liquids. This book defies simple definition. It is history, encompassing eons, science lessons, global consciousness and science fiction losing its fiction status. All this and more, achieved by close analysis of everyday ( and a few not so everyday) liquids. Fascinating. An incentive to read more science. The narrator is delightful, too!

At least until James Burke would record Connection

Awsome, interesting, makes you think a lot, packaged very nicely into a story and performed very well.
And please do record Connections...

unexpectedly awsome

Loved it. Learned a lot and it was very relaxing. Liquids are more interesting than I thought.

Fantastic!

This book was so well done, both in its writing and in its performance. It's a literal tour de force of all things liquid, but told in a very relevant and understandable way -- even though I had trouble wrapping my brain around some of what was discussed. A photo that was stored in, and retrieved from, a drop of liquid? I'm still trying to understand Polaroids. I literally could not get enough of this juicy, nerdy info and can't wait to trot some of it out at the next cocktail party! I recommend this book for literally everyone. Happy Reading!

interesting

Really enjoyable look at different liquids and how they have impacted and changed life. The framing device, an airplane flight, added levity. Good for geeks.

Outstanding edutainment!

I don't know who referred me to this title, but God bless them! This book was so fun, fascinating, funny, and loaded with moments that inspired deeply thinking about liquids with a new perspective. what a slippery existence! Thank you Mr Miodownik for sharing your knowledge and gift of story telling. Also excellent narration! An unexpected 5 stars all around.

Wet and Wild

Brilliant, start to finish. The airplane journey is a surprisingly perfect vehicle to organize the content, which is unfailingly captivating. Brimming with accessible science, the book flows with information and anecdotes and history and modern application, with a surprising love interest and theft of a valuable example of technology.

Science Book of its own kind

When the market is replete with Science books related to Cosmology, Particle Physics, String Theory etc., Mark's attempt to bring a book detailing everyday practical things, related to Condensed Matter Physics and Physical Chemistry to some extent, is highly praiseworthy.

Many others use this book for reference

Listen to other popular authors and you’ll hear similar takes on Liquid Rules. Many I had a distant memory of, like Einstein and refrigeration. Good listen for driving.

A decent listen

Liquid Rules is a decent listen about various liquids that impact our lives. It had some interesting information, but doesn't get too deep in the weeds. There is as much story telling as there is educational information. Overall I enjoyed it, but if you're looking for a deep dive into the chemical properties of various liquids this probably isn't the book you're looking for.