Ok, so this is a DVD not a book but it seemed like the place anyway.
The BBC can lay fair claim to making the world's best wildlife documentries and the best of all their documentries are those by David Attenborough. As well as numerous 'Wildlife on One' and 'Wildlife on Two' one shots he's also created some extended series dealing with various subjects. The earliest of these, made in 1979, was
Life On Earth.
Life On Earth aims to follow the story of evolution from the earliest lifeforms to the arrival of modern humans by investigating the modern analogues of each stage of evolution. All told in Attenborough's highly factual, understandable and intersting style. Thus over thirteen 50 minute episodes we are introduced both to all the major forms and to the general outline of evolution.
It shows it's age in places, but this is still one of the greatest wildlife documentries ever made. I don't know whether David Attenborough's works made it across the pond or whether you've had to make do with the second rate works of the Discovery Channel, if it's the latter you're really in for a treat.
Life On Earth is available from Amazon either on it's own or as part of a larger collection (The David Attenborough collection part 2).