Short Synopsis
A Washington Post columnist offers a fun, fascinating guide to everyday science for those who never wore a slide rule or a pocket protector.

Full Synopsis
How does soap know what's dirt? How do magnets work? Why do ice cubes crackle in your glass . . . And how can you keep them quiet?

They are the questions that torment all of us. Now Robert L. Wolke, professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh, provides definitive—and amazingly simple—explanations for the mysteries of everyday life. Shattering myths (such as the common belief that salt melts the ice in your driveway) . . . providing insider secrets (like what lights up a neon sign) . . . and daring you to perform your own experiments ( find out what happens when you use a sharp knife to scratch the inside of a beer glass filled with brew!), Dr. Wolke provides astounding facts, cant-lose- bar bets, and sometimes shocking truths.

Why is the sky blue? A candle flame yellow? Or bleached clothes white? Don't stay in the dark. When it comes to unraveling the mysteries of modern living, maybe Einstein didn't know. But you can—even if you've never lit a Bunsen burner—with this fascinating, eye-opening book about our astonishing world.