It is a field that is inseparable from the roots and evolution of human civilization. Its anecdotes, inviting prose, and unusual choice of chapter titles introduce both the author and his field of research, materials science.

And to their delight, the book delivers on both the scientific and personal levels. Those titles alone are enough to make readers want to know him better. Miodownik holds two titles at University College London, both of which will evoke a curious smile: Professor of Materials and Society and Director of the Institute for Making. That is the take-away message from Mark Miodownik's entertaining and informative Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials that Shape Our Man-Made World. We have silicon microchips, fiberoptic glass cables, airplanes made from ultralight but ultrastrong composites and alloys, and of course, chocolate.

We live in a remarkable high-tech world, surrounded by objects with extraordinary properties that are only possible because of fabricated materials. Shop for Stuff Matters at discount price and support the Science Shelf book review Archive. For permission to publish or print multiple copies of any of the materials on this site, please contact the author by e-mail. Individuals may print single copies of reviews or columns for their own use. Note: All materials on this site are the copyrighted property of Alfred B. Review of Stuff Matters by Mark Miodownik Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials that Shape Our Man-Made World by Mark Miodownik (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 272 pages, $26.00, July 2014)