An idea that started in Seattle's public library has spread throughout America and beyond. The concept is simple: help to build a sense of community in a city by getting everyone to read the same book at the same time.

In addition to encouraging reading as a pursuit to be enjoyed by all, the program allows strangers to communicate by discussing the book on the bus, as well as promoting reading as an experience to be shared in families and schools. The idea came from Seattle librarian Nancy Pearl who launched the " If All of Seattle Read the Same Book " project in 1998. Her original program used author visits, study guides and book discussion groups to bring people together with a book, but the idea has since expanded to many other American cities, and even to Hong Kong.

In Chicago, the mayor appeared on television to announce the choice of To Kill a Mockingbird as the first book in the "One Book, One Chicago" program. As a result, reading clubs and neighborhood groups sprang up around the city. Across the US, stories emerged of parents and children reading to each other at night and strangers chatting away on the bus about plot and character.

The only problem arose in New York, where local readers could not decide on one book to represent the huge and diverse population. This may show that the idea works best in medium-sized cities or large towns, where a greater sense of unity(一致）can be achieved. Or it may show that New Yorkers rather missed the point, putting all their energy and passion into the choice of the book rather than discussion about a book itself.

Ultimately, as Nancy points out, the level of success is not measured by how many people read a book, but by how many people are enriched by the process or have enjoyed speaking to someone with whom they would not otherwise have shared a word.

The best science books inspire a sense of wonder and make you amazed at the incredible world we live in. Here are four of them to feed your imagination.

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

How did it all begin? And how did we get here? Combining history and science, the book offers a comprehensive yet entertaining answer to these questions. Bill Bryson takes the reader on an impressive journey through the greatest cientific discoveries in history. It explains scientific topics in a vivid way, but it's quite a long read.

Thing Explainer by Randall Munroe

How do helicopters work? Or cells? Randall Munroe explains how things work using illustrations and only the most common 1,000 words in English. It will shift your approach to explanation. So, next time explain how something works rather than merely call it by its name. However, additionally providing more technical terms might have enhanced the understanding and learning experience.

Ask an Astronaut by Tim Peake

What does it feel like to fly into space? How do you prepare for it? Astronaut Tim Peake answers all the questions you never knew about going into space. The book gives insights into the cutting-edge science, as well as the day-to-day life on board of the International Space Station. Its question and answer format makes it easy to quickly find answers, but it can become less appealing due to the lack of descriptive language.

Deep Time by Riley Black

Want to know the story of our planet? Riley Black takes us on a journey, in the order of time, through the geological(地质的)events that have shaped our planet. The fascinating high-quality images are supported by easily digestible explanations of key historical moments. It also expands on key concepts in geology, astronomy and biology. Yet, measuring the size of some objects on the photos is difficult due to the lack of a scale bar (比例尺).

Leave a book in a public place, so that someone else can pick it up and read it, then leave it again for another person. In an ideal situation, the book, once brought into the bookcrossing movement, can travel for years. 【小题1】

One can always go through bookshelves and find a few books that do not quite belong there anymore. 【小题2】Quite the opposite, bookcrossing is about giving books which you no longer like a new life. Someone will certainly like the books you did not enjoy.

After choosing the book you want to share with others, use its ISBN code or a title and register it at the official bookcrossing site. 【小题3】Either print a label or write the rules of bookcrossing on the first page of the book. Include the unique code.

【小题4】In big cities, there may be special bookcrossing zones that cafes and libraries choose to open. However, it is a frequent practice to leave books “in the wild”: on a bench in a park, or in a tourist spot. It is a good idea to pack the book in a transparent plastic bag, in case of the bad weather.

Once the book has been found and registered, you will get e-mails. You will keep getting them every time someone finds your book in the future. Since its launch in 2003，the movement has gathered over a million members who have sent almost eleven million books out to travel. 【小题5】A very noble goal, indeed!