Best books on non-fiction subjects

[Jdanz]

Like theory of poker is to poker as .........

So all you need to know/ or even just a good overview of a subject.

Other examples, maybe

Intelligent Investor -> Value investing
Valuation, McKinsey & co. -> Valuation

Also interested in canonical works on a subject.

Examples

The Wealth of Nations -> Economics
A Study of History,Toynbee -> History

Also I don't have practical examples but i'm interested in the best how to books:

examples:

best learning spanish book
best computer programing/web design book

Let's just hear what 2+2 thinks are the best informative books and in what category/capacity.

[xx44]

What's a book?

[ChipStorm]

Two Treatises of Government, John Locke
The Making Of The Atomic Bomb, Richard Rhodes
The Prince, Machiavelli
Free To Choose, Milton Friedman

[BWebb]

It has been suggested on here many times:

The Selfish Gene-Dawkins

[Slow Play Ray]

Global Brain is excellent.

[TER]

Best book on Olympic style archery technique:

The Heretic Archer, Vittorio Frangilli

[Duke]

Godel, Escher, Bach is the best book on, well, read it.

The white CLR algorithms book is important for programming.

Design Patterns should be mandatory reading for any serious developer, if only to familiarize yourself with the ways that other people typically solve problems.

[microbet]

I'm hardly qualified to say anything is the best book on a subject, but here are a couple that come to mind.

Chimpanzee Politics

Love at Goon Park

[jaffa]

Best book on what used to be whatever car you own, but now it appears that they have a book for whatever of anything you own (cars, washing machines, childeren etc) = a Haynes Manual

I think they're called Chilton Manuals in the US.

[ChipStorm]

The Elements of Style, Strunk & White