By the author of the best-selling, prize-winning Stuff Matters

'A truly delightful read' Jim Al-Khalili, author of Paradox

'Exciting, anarchic and surprising' Katy Guest, The Guardian

This fascinating new book by the bestselling scientist and engineer Mark Miodownik is an expert tour of the world of the droplets, heartbeats and ocean waves that we come across every day. Structured around a plane journey which sees encounters with substances from water and glue to coffee and wine, he shows how these liquids can bring death and destruction as well as wonder and fascination.

From Laszlo Biro's revolutionary pen and Abraham Gesner's kerosene to cutting-edge research on self-repairing roads and liquid computers, Miodownik uses his winning formula of scientific storytelling to bring the everyday to life. He reveals why liquids can flow up a tree but down a hill, why oil is sticky, how waves can travel so far, and how to make the perfect cup of tea. Here are the secret lives of substances that we rely on but rarely understand.

'An exhilarating, eye-opening ride' Philip Ball, science writer and author of H2O

'A thrilling read, from start to finish' Tim Radford, author of The Consolations of Physics