Listmania!
Science for the non-scientist (with a biological bias).
The Crucible of Creation: The Burgess Shale and the Rise of AnimalsThe Crucible of Creation: The Burgess Shale and the Rise of Animals by Simon Conway Morris
Buy new: £16.19 / Used from: £17.00
An amazing story from the horses mouth (as it were!).
The Selfish Gene: 30th Anniversary editionThe Selfish Gene: 30th Anniversary edition by Richard Dawkins
Buy new: £5.77 / Used from: £3.49
Dawkins' most famous book is also his most easily grasped.
Bully for BrontosaurusBully for Brontosaurus by Stephen Jay Gould
Buy used from: £0.01
My own favourite among his many brilliant books.
Bad ScienceBad Science by Ben Goldacre
Buy used from: £3.38
Know the enemy. Essential reading and very funny.
The Arrow of Time: The Quest to Solve Science's Greatest Mysteries (Flamingo)The Arrow of Time: The Quest to Solve Science's Greatest Mysteries (Flamingo) by Peter Coveney
Buy used from: £0.01
Much more accessible than "A Brief History of Time" but covering similar ground.
The Rise and Fall of the Third ChimpanzeeThe Rise and Fall of the Third Chimpanzee by Jared M. Diamond
Buy new: £6.48 / Used from: £0.40
An exploration of our evolutionary and cultural history.
The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection: Or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life (English Library)The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection: Or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life (English Library) by Charles Darwin
Buy new: £5.91 / Used from: £2.03
Still readable and this edition includes a superb introduction by John Burrows.
Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 ChaptersGenome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters by Matt Ridley
Buy new: £5.74 / Used from: £0.28
A fascinating insight into what our genes actually can and can't do.
In the Blood: God, Genes and DestinyIn the Blood: God, Genes and Destiny by Steve Jones
Buy used from: £4.95
Everything by Steve Jones is worth reading but this is especially good.
Science Master: Why Is Sex Fun? The Evolution Of Human Sexuality (Science Masters)Science Master: Why Is Sex Fun? The Evolution Of Human Sexuality (Science Masters) by Jared Diamond
Buy new: £4.99 / Used from: £1.17
Witty and informative.
Surely You're Joking, Mr.Feynman!: Adventures of a Curious CharacterSurely You're Joking, Mr.Feynman!: Adventures of a Curious Character by Ralph Leighton
Buy new: £6.48 / Used from: £3.75
Autobiography by anecdote. What makes a brilliant scientific personality tick?
The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions and the Quest for the Ultimate TheoryThe Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory by Brian Greene
Buy new: £6.72 / Used from: £2.40
Just brilliant! Makes you feel clever by explaining it so well.
The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNAThe Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA by James Watson
Buy new: £8.09 / Used from: £9.85
Unputdownable. Reads like a thriller. (Which I suppose it is).
The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of LifeThe Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Life by Richard Dawkins
Buy used from: £40.53
My own favourite among Dawkins' books.
The French Lieutenant's Woman (Vintage Classics)The French Lieutenant's Woman (Vintage Classics) by John Fowles
Buy new: £5.57 / Used from: £3.39
The impact of Darwin's theories on Victorian sensibility wrapped in a terrific novel..