First the positives: it's nicely written, easy to read, with a good layout and the core of the book is solidly well-researched.

Unfortunately, I wasn't really as excited about it as I'd hoped; it doesn't contain much that someone with a techie's take on general knowledge and some travel planning skills (generic guidebook + google) won't tell you in a fairly short time.

I suspect this is a good book for those without much travel experience or who haven't done much reading about the history of science and technology: I imagine that it'd be a little inspirational for people who are looking for an excuse to apply for a passport, and whose interests are more or less mainstream.

I'm still waiting for a quirky science and technology-oriented travel book which helps me find nuggets of unexpected authenticity that aren't easy to find otherwise: who knew there was a little ritual of leaving exotic metro tickets on the final resting place of Poincar??