The Accidental Universe: The World You Thought You Knew

A beautiful little book. Alan Lightman is a scientist and writer, and his musings in this collection of essays - on the complicated or unanswered aspects of the nature of reality - are an easy, elegant and thought-provoking read. I will put this next to David Eagleman's ‘Sum' and start handing out both as presents, to spread a love of science. Because science books don't always have to be dusty and heavy.

A well-written introduction to several scientific theories that you might have heard of but didn't understand before. I liked all of it except Spiritual Universe which I don't necessarily agree with it, though I do think that spirituality is important, just without religion.