An overview of scientific discovery in 550+ pages. This sprawling book, written with Bryson's characteristic good humour (sadly, still not as funny as I'd hoped) is broad and accessible and filled with often fascinating anecdotes about the life and times of the researchers in question. If it doesn't have quite the literary beauty of Loren Eiseley's work - Eiseley remains my favourite science writer - it's still a fantastic effort, and well worth reading.