Milestones of Science : The History of Humankind's Greatest Ideas (reading line)

Pavlov's dogs, Volta's battery, and an ancient Chinese compass all contribute to the reader's sense of immersion in the topic at hand, and Suplee's short, pithy essays on topics ranging broadly across all aspects of science whet the appetite for greater depth. Original documents of greats like Leonardo and Galileo, high-detail pictures of modern nuclear and medical machines, and illuminating juxtapositions, like the shots of 19th- and 20th-century surgeries, provide enough material to keep all but the most adamant technophobe interested for hours. --Rob Lightner