[.ca] Milestones of Science: The History of Humankind's ... (ISBN 0792279069)

From Amazon.co.uk:
Reading about a subject enough times can practically kill interest in it--just ask any of the research scientists wondering where their replacements will come from. National Geographic gives scientists from Aristotle to Stephen Hawking a stay with Curt Suplee's Milestones of Science, a lovely book that captures the imagination with pictures as much as their accompanying text. 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

Lightweight, richly illustrated overview of science history:
Award-winning science writer Curt Suplee provides a lightweight overview of the history of science in this richly illustrated book from National Geographic. It's effectively written in a series of very short (one-page) chapters, each one covering a specific scientific advancement and accompanied by an appropriate illustration or illustrations. Not surprisingly, it's a bit simpleminded, lacking in controversy and focusing on "the mighty march of science." Still, it's a good read with marvelous illustrations, and even I (who consider myself an expert in the history of science) learned a few things. I'd recommend this one for a bright youngster (junior high or thereabouts) who is developing an interest in science, or for an adult looking for a simple, easy-to-read overview of the history of science.