Which book should I read first.

[Darwinian]

I've got quite a few books that I really should have read by now. Trouble is I don't know where to start. :S

[leo-rcc]

Of that list I enjoyed Elegant Universe the most.

[theblindferrengi]

Of that list I enjoyed Elegant Universe the most.

Yeah, its one of my favorites.

[Minimalist]

Depends. If you want to shore up your knowledge of Evolution then Greatest Show on Earth. If you want to read a great polemic against religion then Hitchens is your bet.

[Rev. Rye]

Well, here are my opinions of all of these books based on what I've heard. I've actually only read the Dawkins and Hitchens books, with parts of Origin of Species (I do have a lot of books in my reading Queue, and science is not that high a priority in my queue.)

*Origin of Species: Well, this is certainly the book that laid the framework for the Theory of Evolution, and while his style can be poetic at times, it is actually particularly technical. In fact, virtually every Readability Index I consulted has claimed that it is less readable than Ulysses or Gravity's Rainbow. I'd put this second.
*Greatest Show on Earth. This is my pick for the first book you should read, if only because it gives up-to-date information as to what the Theory of Evolution currently entails. Admittedly, a more accurate guide will likely come along in a few years, and Dawkins really shows his age here more than in The God Delusion, but it's certainly worth reading.
*Elegant Universe: Brian Greene. Do you really want to get into String Theory? Then I suppose this is the best way to do so.
*Creation: Based on the film. I have been able to find no info on this book. From the title (all the info I could find on google), it seems like it is just a novelization of the movie. I could be wrong, but I doubt it. I would probably read it last.
*Darwin: Voyage of the Beagle. From what I've heard, this is far more readable than Origin, but it is much less relevant to the theory of evolution than it.
*God is not Great. I bought this on the first day it was out. I have to admit that between Dawkins, Hitchens, and Harris, my preference is definitely for Dawkins, but this one is still worth reading, if only for its bombastic style.
*What Ho! P.G. Wodehouse. Well, this is supposed to contain the best of Wodehouse's Stories. I haven't actually read any Wodehouse, but judging from the Fry and Laurie version of Jeeves and Wooster, it is likely funny.