Great list. Love me some Neil deGrasse Tyson. I love his argument for why nuclear technology is a good thing. He simply compared it to metal technology and said 'well, a knife can be made to kill you, but that shouldn't stop us from the benefits of metal'. So right on. I've been hearing about Guns, Germs and Steel since it was published. Will pick it up I think. Not to digress too much, but I just finished reading a book that I recommend for anyone here called At Home by Bill Bryson. The book is an incredibly detailed document on the history of domesticity as it were from the Renaissance to 1900 or so, with particular attention paid to the onset of the industrial age and the year 1850. So while it isn't as theoretical as the list you provided is (i imagine), it is a fascinating read. I guess the reason I bring it up is because of its relationship to anthropology and technology (for example, the book goes into great detail about the cultivation of water, roman bathing habits and how they evolved, and the invention of modern plumbing and also notes that the White House was the first home to have flushing toilets in the U.S.). That was maybe not the most appetizing example. Either way, the book is packed full of stories of a thousand Giants whose shoulders so many of us stand on.