- The Development of Mathematics, by E. T. Bell
not that i understand mathematics that well, but this book gave me many ideas of how an abstract/complex thing like mathematics can evolve through history, i found that exciting
- when i was a teenager i liked a couple of books by Martin Gardner
The concept of how small pieces of something can form into something else entirely, is fascinating. How does a bunch of your cells form into you? How do a bunch of notes from a song form something so grand? How does a collection of 'inanimate' material form something animate?
from reading other posts (comments) I've remembered another good book, sort of on the same flavor as the "biological" parts in GEB:
-"Investigations", by Stuart Kauffman
exciting lecture too