Best pop sciencey-type books?

[Pruners]

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The Bill Bryson one is v good - amazon has it at a bargain price

I also enjoyed one about string theory can't rememeber who by (Steve someone???) but I've lent it to my sister.

Depending on your viewpoint, and what you think of him, Richard Dawkins' Climbing Mount Improbable is interesting.

The man who mistook his wife for a hat - more psychology, fascinating.

Phantoms of the brain - ditto

In search of schrodinger's cat - dp recommends.

Demon-Haunted World: Science as a candle in the dark
by Carl Sagan

Its a bit dated now, but Chaos by James Glieck is pretty good.

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Marcus du Sautoy's book on primes. Can't remember title.

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second vote for man who mistook...
also Language of the Genes - Steve Jones
The Blind Watchmaker - Richard Dawkins

I read Schrodingers cat, Slur - it was v. interesting but there was a bit that made my head spin. I think it was about light and waves/particles and he said something like 'if you don't understand this, then you have not understood anything I have been saying'.

At which point I decided I probably should give up.

love all olver Sacks. Uncle Tungsten is a ratling good read.

The Bill bryson one is rather engaging

Ooh, I was going to say Gleick's "Chaos" as well!

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The Mismeasure of Man, Stephen Jay Gould

will look out for that one, Pruners. Have just remembered another one I read ages ago, Steven Pinker, The Language Instinct.

I should reread some of these really, before I forget all the information I carefully gleaned from them!

John Gribbin is great. I thoroughly recommend this book, although parts of it may be a little out of date now (was written in 1999).