I've just read "The Book of General Ignorance" by John Lloyd and John Mitchinson.
This is a book I really recommend for learning English as a second language.
I have been hearing that students should begin by reading books of short stories in English.
But I have tried to read some classical short stories (both in AmE and BrE) and they are difficult, mainly the old ones. Usually the author tries to use as much as labored English as possible, aiming to enhance the reading pleasure of native speakers. It is really easy to get lost in the plot.
But this little book by J. Lloyd and J. Mitchinson does the job of introducing one to the world of written English quite well. Because the stories are somewhat technical and direct. There are many new and difficult words okay, but you can read with a dictionary aid and learn a lot, and the texts are small (about one page for text on average).
The content of the book is very interesting. Many curiosities such as "Who invented this and that (telephone, radio, etc.)", "Who was the first man to achieve this and that?", "Which is the --est something?" etc. It seems the authors have made their "homework". Although regarding physics the book is not exactly perfect.
I became aware of this book by listening to an interview from one of the authors in a radio program in South Africa. It is an amazing book to read.