The same question was asked on Ask Metafilter a decade ago, and received 237 answers: http://ask.metafilter.com/71101/What-single-book-is-the-best-introduction-

The same question was asked on Ask Metafilter a decade ago, and received 237 answers: http://ask.metafilter.com/71101/What-single-book-is-the-best-introduction-to-your-field-or-specialization-within-your-field-for-laypeople http://ask.metafilter.com/71101/What-single-book-is-the-best...