I read this immediately after finishing a natural history of flowers. In my review of the flowers book, I complained that the author wandered far afield of his topic (no pun intended) and that it struck me as poorly organized. This book also wanders far afield of its topic, but is well-organized and (to my mind) better written altogether. Hanson brings mild humor and personal anecdotes along with his science. It was a wonderful book.
[Audiobook note: Mark Vietor is great, as always.]