The Elegant Universe
By Brian Greene

This book is, essentially, a look at the universe and what sorts of laws govern it. For the past 80 years, there's been an attempt to unify all these laws into one theory. The problem is, the more scientists figure out, the more difficult it becomes. They've come up with incredibly futuristic solutions like string theory and alternate universes—ideas that 30 years ago you would have thought were strictly the domain of science fiction, like flying cars and thinking robots. Greene describes the theories in ways that make them more understandable. I think the fact that much of this is still a mystery to most people is pretty cool. It's why these scientists get up in the morning.