A series of informative books by a variety of authors, with the title " for beginners". For instance, "Einstein for Beginners", "Jung for Beginners" or "Ethics for Beginners". They are witty and sophisticated, and very readable, and are filled with lots of pictures (it helps me concentrate). They're not "dumbed-down" at all, though, and if you're not paying attention you'll soon find yourself flicking back to re-read. They're an accessible way to get to know some highly academic topics, and I can particularly recommend them if you're a student; I know that since I read the Wittgenstein one and the Postmodernism one my essays have improved drastically.