This was a fascinating read (especially the last three chapters). I found this book accidentally (was on sale in Landmark) and the first few random pages looked really good – so I grabbed it along.
Simple explanations for a lot of things (that you wonder or don’t wonder about). ‘Tis true that most of the stuff there is scattered over the wikipedias, but to read it under lamp and one after another is nothing short of ecstasy (heh). Must read if you have any curiosity at all.