Atoms Under the Floorboards

Starred review from May 1, 2015

From cars to skyscrapers, glues to water, and computers to radio waves, Woodford (explainthatstuff.com; Cool Stuff and How It Works) explores the science behind our everyday lives. The author's engaging narrative simplifies even the most complex of scientific phenomena to the point that anyone, from the person who hasn't been in a science class since high school to the PhD scientist, will be able to gain knowledge and enjoyment out of this book. There doesn't seem to be a common thread or logical progression among topics, so each chapter is like a vignette highlighting an everyday object or issue. Also, the title of the book may mislead readers: while there is certainly a fair amount of chemistry addressed here, the focus is much more on the physics of everyday objects. But neither of these points will detract from the readers' experience. VERDICT Recommended for professional scientists and completely unscientific readers alike.--John Kromer, Miami Univ. of Ohio Lib., Oxford, OH

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