Take a look around you. You might see a television set, a smartphone, your sofa set, a glass coffee table, maybe some plant pots, a newspaper, the walls of your room, some paintings,.... This list can go on and on, simple routine things in our day-to-day lives that we just take for granted.
Ever stopped to ponder what makes these things the way they are? Why is a steel razor blade sharp and yet a spoon made from the same material totally harmless? How can you eat chocolate, and also drink it? How does a seemingly dull powder such as cement result in such sturdy skyscrapers and bridges?
If you ever consider the "what has gone into this" for all things around you, you will realise the impact that materials have had on our lives. And one of the best possible ways of knowing more about this in an absolutely enjoyable way is this book. When I had purchased it, I was in two minds, and once it was delivered, I was further confused whether to keep it or return it. But I am glad I stuck with my instinct and kept it. I never thought anyone could make a subject like material science so interesting.
An absolute must-read for science lovers as well as amateur dabblers in nonfiction. It will certainly start making you look at things differently.


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I liked a lot of this book. It's written in an easy-to-understand way and a lot of the information is extremely interesting. The book explores the origins and characteristics of nine human-made materials: steel, paper, concrete, chocolate, aerogel, plastic, glass, carbon, and ceramic. The steel, concrete, and aerogel chapters were the most interesting, in my opinion.

The book did have some slow parts, or at least parts that I didn't find interesting. Also, the author added quite a few personal anecdotes that were sometimes a bit dull.

All in all, it's a good book, but I didn't love it. ( )

An interesting look at the hidden life of porcelain, chocolate, steel and other substances. The chapters are short and it is written at a level snyone could understand ( )

Fascinating to listen to. Though I'd probably get way more out of reading it, this was sufficient for my interest level. I quite enjoyed paper, as I'm sure many readers did. ( )

What a wonderful way to bring back memories of chemistry and physics. This has to be one of the most interesting and fun contexts for teaching/learning science - placing the elements into everyday objects. ( )