While surfing the net with "What single book is the best introduction to your field?" I found some minor works like The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, Plato's The Republic, Machiavelli's The Prince and A FORTRAN Coloring Book.

http://ask.metafilter.com/71101/What-single-book-is-the-best-introduction-to-your-field-or-specialization-within-your-field-for-laypeople