Change your question to 'What are the best thing(s) to read to get a basic, but comprehensive understanding of world history?' One book is not going to cut it. I would say reading one survey from each major region, Middle East, East Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas would give you enough general knowledge, as long as you were able to retain a fair amount of it.
A book I would strongly recommend is "Almanac of World History"
The book touches upon the surface of a lot of important countries in a easily digestible manner, most countries/religions/wars take up 1-3 pages with a time line of important events and neat maps. It is also relatively cheap and I was personally able to read it at the age of 12 with English not being my primary language (its that easy).
Definitely 'The Human Web' by McNeill and McNeill. It focusses on the global patterns and interconnections of history. And its clear, clean and compact.
Honestly, this sub and wikipedia have just about all the information you'll need for a basic understanding. Wikipedia is a good starting off point for broad events and if you want to get more in depth about a certain topic, ask away here. Not to mention the many great questions that have already been asked here.
Okay this may be a longshot, but if price and/or time is of no issue, read "The Story of Civilization" by Will Durant. His volumes are a little dated (published 1935-1975), but his insights and focus on the major historical themes are incredibly enlightening even today. Though he is admittedly light on Asian and African history, each volume covers an increasingly more defined period. I am routinely surprised at how many "new ideas" were found in his speculation so many decades ago.