A slim, engaging volume that mixes mini lessons on such subjects as thixotropic fluids--think house paint and ballpoint pen ink, both of which flow when someone applies pressure to them but gel when left alone--with anecdotes from the author's adventurous life...Readers come away from the book with a renewed appreciation for the complexity of such everyday substances as champagne, rubber and toothpaste. -- Sandra Upson and Anna Kuchment Scientific American 20120323 Mitov has a light touch, writing like the hip, pop-culture-loving, corduroy-jacket-wearing chemistry teacher that you always wanted but never had. -- Aaron Leitko Washington Post 20120410 Champagne bubbles, mayonnaise, rubber, blood and sand are part of the eclectic mix of materials explored in Sensitive Matter...Mitov applies his vivid imagination to explaining how soft materials respond to disturbances...It is a quirky and fun introduction to this practical, complex field. -- Rosamund Daw Nature 20120701