Mark Miodownik has one sincere message: Stuff really matters.

Miodownik, a science communicator and materials science and engineering professor at University College London, echoes that message through his passion for materials in the book Stuff Matters.

The book is not an entirely technical nor comprehensive history, dissection, or explanation of materials, but rather an entertaining meander through the everyday world, exploring materials along the way. Stuff Matters is a good introduction to, or reminder of, the world of materials science by connecting stuff to its recognizable place in the world.