Finished: "The Man Who Loved China: The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom" by Simon Winchester ... decent/good. Needham was a dedicated individual, that's for sure. If you want to know more about the individual responsible for getting the larger world to recognize the historical value of Chinese technology, this will do it.

Starting: "A Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906" (also by) Simon Winchester.