In the same vein as Bill Bryson’s “A Short History of Nearly Everything.”
I found some praise for Neil Shubin’s “Your Inner Fish,” but I’m open to suggestions.
My recommendation is the original, “On the Origin of Species” by Charles Darwin. It is still quite readable and understandable.
Richard Dawkins’s Ancestors Tale, though very long, is also excellent, and quite readable for the layperson.
The classic is Richard Dawkin’s “The Blind Watchmaker.” I realize his later books have become famous for his anti-religious slant but this work, from 1986, is beautifully written and mostly just concerned with science. It also made me become a biology major.
And available for free from www.gutenberg.org.
On a very related note ‘Almost Like a Whale’ by Steve Jones ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almost_Like_a_Whale ) is an updated version of Darwin’s work, retaining the same chapter summaries I think (haven’t read the original). A very readable book, with mind-blowing natural history snippets every few pages to keep you hooked.
All of Dawkins’ books are good, but the latest one, ‘The Greatest Show On Earth,’ is likely to have the most accurate summary of current scientific consensus.
My personal favorite, though, is ‘Climbing Mount Improbable.’ If you’ve ever wondered how an eye could evolve, that book will tell you.
Kinda depends what you are going for. I found Darwin’s works…rather dry. I like this one: