I will argue this until I'm blue in the face, but giving the average person "The Bitcoin Standard" out of the gate is a sure fire way to make sure their eyes glaze over and they quickly move on.

People need gentle nudges and encouragement. They need small, digestible topics they can quickly sit with. I usually offer "The Little Bitcoin Book" or "Magic Internet Money" as the starter book for people. If they are liberal, I'll point them to "The Progressives Case for Bitcoin." If I know they have a good economics foundation, I now prefer "Broken Money" and then Saif's Bitcoin/Fiat Standards.

You've got to know your audience and attempt to meet them where they're at.