2010 in books: 4. The Scientific American Day in the Life of Your Brain, by Judith Horstman
This was one of those wonderful books that bridges the gap between scientist and lay-person. Each chapter is based on an hour of the twenty-four-hour day (starting at 5 a.m.), and is loosely based around a theme connected to that hour. So, for example, the chapter set at 5 a.m. revolves around what happens in your brain when you wake up; noon is based around eating; 10 p.m. is based around sex, love, and lust. For every chapter, there's an explanation of what's happening in your brain and what effect it has on your body and your perceptions. Also, there are discussions of what can go wrong (like insomnia or sleepwalking in the sleep chapters) and occasionally digressions into why things might be the way they are, evolutionarily speaking.
The writing is clear and straightforward, which is a decided benefit in a book whose topic easily lends itself to complexity. It's not necessarily one of those reference books I'd return to again and again, but it fills its niche well, and I feel more knowledgeable for having read it.