<i>QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter</i> by Richard Feynman. [0] This is a series of four lectures given my Feynman on quantum electrodynamics for a lay audience, and it's rare in being comprehensible yet not so watered-down as to be wrong or confusing. Probably my all-time favorite science book. I've lent out and given away more copies than I can count.<p>[0] <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QED:_The_Strange_Theory_of_Light_and_Matter" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QED:_The_Strange_Theory_of_Lig...</a>
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flying_Circus_of_Physics" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flying_Circus_of_Physics</a><p>-- 700 unusual science phenomena; each case is presented as a puzzle with an explanation in the back of the book. Physics, chemistry, biology, engineering
The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe: How to Know What's Really Real in a World Increasingly Full of Fake - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Skeptics%27_Guide_to_the_Universe_(book)" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Skeptics%27_Guide_to_the_U...</a>
There's a nice series from MIR Publishers entitled "Science for Everyone"[1]. Some books are even written by Lev Landau. The series is destined to interest people.<p>[1]: <a href="https://archive.org/search.php?query=publisher%3A%22Mir%20Publishers%22%20for%20everyone" rel="nofollow">https://archive.org/search.php?query=publisher%3A%22Mir%20Pu...</a><p>[2]: <a href="https://mirtitles.org/?s=for+everyone" rel="nofollow">https://mirtitles.org/?s=for+everyone</a>
On DNA/genetics:
Life's Greatest Secret, Matthew Cobb
Siddhartha Mukherjee's books: 'The Emperor of All Maladies' + The Gene are very good as an introduction (start off by watching the PBS documentary)<p>Jim Baggott's books are good on physics e.g. 'Mass'.
Also Jim Holt, though he was trained as a philosopher.
Penrose 'The Emperor's New Mind' etc are very good but not new.