Liquid Rules!

Recently I began reading Liquid Rules: The Delightful and Dangerous Substances That Flow Through Our Lives by Mark Miodownik, a material scientist, and so far I am liking it. This book is non-fiction that discusses liquid substances. Throughout the book, the author dives deeper into the liquids he comes in contact with on a London to San Francisco airplane flight. He explains how liquids work and talks about interesting natural occurrences. I have always found non-fictional books less appealing as there are often no characters to get attached to, no captivating story lines. I find them harder to get into. However, I find Liquid Rules to be very interesting and I have gotten hooked.

One thing that I like about this book is the style in which it is written. Miodownik has an amazing voice and gives excellent examples. Even as someone who knows very little about material sciences, I was able to understand what was being said and find it interesting. One passage that I liked was when the author began introducing the idea of water flow on a very basic level. Miodownik explains that “flowing takes time, and if your speed of impact is too great, the water won’t be able to flow away fast enough, so it pushes back at you. It’s that force that stings your skin as you belly-flop [...] why waves can exert such deadly power, in the case of tsunamis, why they can demolish buildings and cities,” (Miodownik xii). Even when introducing an idea without going very deeply into it, Miodownik is able to make it very intriguing by linking the idea with real-life examples.

Another thing that I like about this book is its visual aids, as it made the book more approachable. The author includes photos and drawings relevant to the topic, which makes the information easier to understand, and also makes the book fun to read. An example of this was when the author discussed water density and how it affected buoyancy. Miodownik explains that the sodium and chlorine from salt inserts between water molecules, making the water denser and therefore making saltwater easier to float on. He then includes the fact that the Dead Sea has ten times the salt as the Atlantic Ocean, along with a photo of a person floating on the Dead Sea. This helps the reader visualize this action, and helps puts the idea in context.

Overall, this book has been very fun to read so far. It has made me more aware of the world around me, especially liquids I come in contact with. If you enjoy non-fiction, I would highly recommend this book, and even if you don’t, I would still encourage reading it. It is a thought-provoking book that is easy to follow, and even as someone who does not usually gravitate towards factual readings, I am glad I decided to pick it up.
-Florence Lin