Stuff Matters

Exploring the Marvelous Materials that Shape Our Man-made World

Mark Miodownik

Genre

Recommended By

Book Synopsis

"Stuff Matters" by Mark Miodownik explores the fascinating world of materials and their impact on our lives. From the steel in buildings to the glass in our smartphones, Miodownik takes readers on a journey through the everyday objects that shape our world.

Delving into the science and history behind various materials, Miodownik reveals the incredible stories that lie beneath their surfaces. He explains how Steel, for instance, enabled the Industrial Revolution, transforming society and paving the way for modern architecture.

Using his expertise as a materials scientist, Miodownik discusses glass and its connection to our desire for transparency, from medieval stained glass windows to modern fiber-optic cables. He explores why concrete, although often overlooked, is the most widely used man-made material on the planet and how it has shaped our urban landscapes.

From ceramics to chocolate, Miodownik highlights the unexpected utility and significance of materials that we might take for granted. He examines how the discovery of plastic revolutionized manufacturing, but also created an environmental crisis.

In "Stuff Matters," Miodownik presents complex scientific concepts in an accessible and engaging manner, weaving together personal anecdotes and historical insights. He shares his passion for materials, showing readers how these substances define our lives and continue to shape our future.

Throughout the book, Miodownik encourages readers to appreciate the beauty and complexity of the materials that surround us, prompting a newfound curiosity about the objects we interact with every day. A captivating blend of science, history, and personal storytelling, "Stuff Matters" conveys the profound significance of seemingly ordinary materials and illuminates the world with fresh insight.

Explore More Books

See All
A Splendid Exchange
Hate Inc.
The Hot Hand
Fate Is The Hunter
Tenth of December
The Demon Under The Microscope
The Internet of Money Volume 2
San Fransicko
Misbehaving
Troublemakers
Probability Theory
Stalin's War
Bass Culture
Getting Everything You Can Out of All You've Got
The Romance of American Communism
Art of the Living Dead
The Cult of LEGO
How To Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck
The Contrary Farmer
The Dice Man
On Drugs
Rick and Morty Book Four
The Upright Thinkers
Psychopolitics
Food of the Gods
Cuckoo
How to Be Topp
Merchants of Doubt
Age Of Ambition
The Wages of Guilt
Forged in Crisis
The Network State
Lolita
Decoded
The Art of Seduction
Scientific Freedom
Blood and Thunder
God Emperor of Dune
Healing
The Araboolies of Liberty Street
The Formula
Old Man and the Sea
The Hunger Games
Portraits of Interiors
Tree Crops
The Narrow Corridor
Letters from a Stoic
Binti
Inside Trump's White House
Freakonomics
Obsession
The DevOps Handbook
Starlink
Exponential Organizations
The Price of Peace
Natural Capitalism
Physics of the Impossible
100 Deadly Skills
This Brave New World
Roger Ailes: Off Camera
The Age of Surveillance Capitalism
Men, Machines, and Modern Times
Ender's Game
Born To Run
Stealing Fire
The Reasonableness of Christianity
Prime Movers of Globalization
Blankie
Farmer's Progress
Childhood and Society
American Exceptionalism
The Graveyard Book
All The Light We Cannot See
Other People's Money
The Politics Industry
Am I Being Too Subtle?
In The Plex
The 5 Resets
No Rules Rules
The Sense of Style
The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need
The Ambiguities of Experience
Facing Codependence
That Used To Be Us
Elvis Cole Series
A Fighting Chance
Impro
Euclid's Elements
The Devil in the White City
The Art of People
Abundance
The Gift of Adversity
Battlegrounds
Trillion Dollar Triage
Wake Up to the Joy of You
The Strange Death Of Europe
A Few Lessons from Sherlock Holmes
The Stopwatch Gang
What Technology Wants
Go To