Thanks to all for some really great suggestions.

Halliday and Resnick now comes in three volumes?--I'm getting out of date.  That goes on the purchase list.

Now, a little criticism-- I said science, not just physics (although that's my favorite).  How about some suggestions in the flelds that get neglected?  Sorry, I would tell you which those are, except I neglected to remember them   

And, math too if you have any in mind.  In my view, you can't really be a scientist without math.  Just for fun, what's the quickest way to prove the Pythagorean theorem?  (Hint: use vectors.)  Want another puzzle?-- What's the fourth root of minus one?   (Same hint.)

Don't bother giving suggestions for dinosaurs, the library already has about 40 books on that topic.
(But not a single book on physics, unless you like Hawking and Sagan.)

Okay, keep the suggestions coming.  I need about a hundred books, and I only have around fifty so far.  And the contributions here have been really excellent.

I'm still lacking a good suggestion for quantum physics.  I like Paul Dirac's book but it is pretty hard.  A book that gives a good explanation of the Meissner effect, for example, would be nice.

Ernie Rogers

Part one of many      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzhlfbWBuQ8&feature=PlayList&p=84C10A9CB1D13841&index=0&playnext=1

Physics:

Roger Penrose
The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe
ISBN 978-0679776314 (Corrected US Edition 2007)

Zdzislaw Meglicki
Quantum Computing without Magic: Devices
ISBN 978-0262135061 (2008)


Math:

Randall Maddox
A Transition to Abstract Mathematics: Learning Mathematical Thinking and Writing
ISBN 978-0123744807 (2nd Edition 2008)

A few more for you...

"Calculus" by Elliot C. Gootman
I've found it to be a pretty clear book for the beginner in calculus (though I could be wrong since I already understood the basic idea before reading this book.)

And believe it or not "The Cartoon Guide to Physics" and all the other "The Cartoon Guide to..." books by Larry Gonick amd Art Huffman. These are excellent. The go into detail on all the concepts, even include some formulas, and couldn't make it any easier to understand.
-Steve
http://rimstar.org   http://wsminfo.org

well maybe http://hackersclub.net/Ernest_Holmes_The_Science_of_Mind_1926.pdf

enjoy