History for Non-History Majors

Came across the following short piece by Gordon Wood, recently - some nice points, and a good counterpoint to Limerick (see "Dancing with Professors" page, left):
"In Defense of Academic History Writing," The Art of History column, Perspectives On History (American Historical Association), April 2010.

I actually came across it while trying to track something down for the new page I just added to this blog, "History for Non-History Majors."  The title of the page is, of course, a reference to the chemistry-for-non-science-majors class I appreciated so much at UMass.  The professor (who looked like Alfred Hitchcock, especially in profile, as he stalked about the stage in front of the projection screen) passed around a bottle of goldschlager to illustrate the difference between a suspension and a solution and screened Simpsons clips to introduce classes on nuclear technology.  It was terribly simple, for the most part, and incredibly fun.  Along the way, I managed to learn some things.  Not a lot, but, then, I wasn't meant to.  The professor's stated goal was to have his students leave the class at the end of the semester with a more general knowledge of chemistry and science, and how it applied to our day to day lives.  For example, that we be able to come to informed decisions about the pros and cons of different energy sources, and which were best suited for our respective communities, were, say a wind farm or nuclear power plant be proposed in our home states.  Or how relatively dangerous the irradiation and chemical treatment (pesticides) of supermarket produce might be.

I think the books I will slowly be listing in the History for Non-History Majors page serve the same general function, leaving readers better informed about history than they were before they started.  And entertained, hopefully!
If any one of the small handful of you out there who read this has any suggestions, please let me know - especially since I realize what I consider 'light' and 'accessible' history might not appear the same to everyone...