Similarities between such disparate items as popcorn and steam engines, ketchup and snails, cell phones and pearls, cotton towels and redwood trees are highlighted in Storm in a Teacup: The Physics of Everyday Life. Physicist Helen Czerski uses what's right in front of us to explain fundamental concepts of physics in a way that's accessible, entertaining and rooted in research.
Storm in a Teacup is a delightful read that manages to be comprehensive. Sections divided by overarching themes take on topics including gas laws, atomic theory, thermodynamics, magnetism, surface tension and other concepts that become easier to grasp through examples and humorous anecdotes. Czerski uses the classic British tea break as a motif throughout, both as a symbolic rest between topical units and as a way to review how diverse aspects of physics affect the simple cup of tea. She ties the small examples to large-scale natural systems like weather patterns and tectonic plate movement, as well as human innovations like wind turbines and space stations.
Storm in a Teacup is charming and useful--great for those who like to know how things work but didn't necessarily excel in high school science classes. Science experts will be in familiar territory, but may still enjoy how Czerski presents her material in a fresh, digestible way. Readers will benefit from gaining more insight into how our world works and the ways that humans have harnessed physics to create the kind of society that supports us today. --Richael Best, bookseller, The Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, Wash.