What one book would you recommend to the uninformed

[StClone]

You see an otherwise intelligent person repeat obvious misinformation. What one book then, not too difficult of a read, would provide them up-to-dated information as to why things are the way they are?

I was going to recommend Thom Hartmann's "Unequal Protection." But there may be other works that sweep the decades and brings current events into focus in a totally footnoted and readable way.