Murder by Death

Excellent series of essays/short stories about some of the more interesting ways science has advanced throughout the ages. One or two are cringe worthy, but almost every single one of the stories contains some fascinating fact.

The essays are based on the "Histories" section of NewScientist Magazine, an excellent publication in it's own right.  I'll be looking for more of the books NewScientist has put out in the future. Very easy to read, written for anyone interested in science but not interested in getting bogged down in a scientist's vocabulary.