Science books you're glad you read

Thanks Maestrowork for starting the topic on science in sci fi. I found the discussion interesting. What came through clearly for me (probably because I already worry about it) is the importance of getting the science right. Since I don't have a science background I try to read semi-widely on science and discussions of the future. The difficulty is finding books which tackle really interesting issues with authority and yet are also understandable by non-experts like me. So, I'd love it if people listed science books (the non-fiction kind) that they found clear, helpful or just plain intriguing.

I'll start:

Fred Pearce (2006) When the Rivers Run Dry. Water - The Defining Crisis of the Twenty-first Century [I can't summarise since it covers so many issues, but it was a fascinating read which included plenty of real world examples and wasn't just doom and gloom.]

John Brockman (2005) What We Believe but Cannot Prove. Today's Leading Thinkers on Science in the Age of Certainty [for instance, Kevin Kelly writes "I believe, but cannot prove, that the DNA in your body (and in the bodies of all living organisms) varies from part to part."

What about interesting websites?

Jenny

So happy! A reading list. Thanks, MidnightMuse for the reminder re Kaku. I read Parallel Worlds a while ago and even took notes! How could you not be fascinated by a scientist who says: In fact, the person's wave function actually spreads throughout the universe.

Speaking of magazines, I have a sneaking affection for Nexus. Each time I read an issue I'm overwhelmed by the realisation that whatever brilliant way out idea I come up with for a story, there is a wayer out idea that someone actually believes! And occasionally there's an article that makes you stop and look at the world differently, in a good way.

Jenny