Big Bang by Simon Singh (2005, Paperback, Reprint)

In this book, Singh does an incredible job of taking the readers through centuries of thinking around astronomy, physics, and cosmology to paint the picture on (possibly) how the universe with birthed and how it is growing. He does this extremely well, without speaking down to his audience, by weaving relavant and refreshing anecdotes, by making the key player real and human, and by providing plenty of examples in explaning complex topics like relativity that we can understand.

The book has such a profound impact on me that since reading it I have bought a telescope, several books on cosmology, and have been spending a significant portion of my time understanding the origins of the universe in a more structured manner.