Amir Aczel's _The Riddle of the Compass_ tells a sweeping tale spanning  continents and centuries.  While this tale includes some discussion of  the natural history of the earth's geological composition, magnetic  field, and recent research showing that certain nerve fibers in fish are  sensitive to this magnetic field and may play a role in their migratory  behavior, the book concentrates on the human history of navigation and  how the development of the compass spurred commerce, trade, and the  expansion of European naval powers.