Armchair Science

Recently I've been reading Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything, which I must say is the best armchair science book I have ever read (with perhaps E=Mc2: A Biography, placing second). Bryson does a great job of taking my mind to places I've never been since high school science class, and then providing just enough novel information to provide my mind a "leaping off point" in terms of thinking about how the universe works.

I just finished a chapter on the asteroids and their many near misses with Earth, and now I'm onto earthquakes. Bryson paints a sobering picture of both that has me looking at force majeure clauses in a new light :). Highly recommended book!