No Prerequisite

Krakatoa : The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883 by Simon Winchester

When I read this book about a year ago, I didn’t know quite what to expect, but I didn’t have high hopes. I was happily surprised to discover that Krakatoa is more than just a history of an eruption, it’s a geology book, a biology book, a history book, and more all rolled into one. Winchester explains everything from the development of plate tectonic theory to the effects of the telegraph to, of course, the eruption ofKrakatoa on August 27, 1883 and its consequences.

Why People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time by Michael Shermer

Why People Believe Weird Things is one of those books that are great for having around and just reading a random section when you have some time. Shermer, a professional skeptic, does a great job of explaining what holocaust deniers and creationists say and believe as well as the scientific response.