facts on friction

I'll admit that I've always tended to avoid friction and the awkward equations that come with it, so I learned a lot from this little book about the issue and why it is important in just about everything, from the wrong kind of leaves on the railway tracks to the mouth feel of your favourite dessert:

Friction - a biography
Jennifer R. Vail
The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 2026
ISBN 978-0-674-29066-2

My review of the book is now out in the May issue of Chemistry & Industry:

Facts on friction

Chemistry & Industry Volume 90, Issue 5, April 2026, Page 35

access via:

Wiley Online Library (paywalled PDF of the whole review section)

SCI (premium content, ie members only)

A snippet:

I was pleased to find a reference to the ancient meme with the flow chart for all engineering problems, indicating that WD40 is the solution if something doesn’t move but should do, whereas duct tape is recommended in the reverse case. This is still very close to what I need to know about stick and slip, but it is reassuring to remember that there are people out there who know so much more about friction.

(edited to remove a word repetition I only spotted when I saw it printed)