A couple of good reads:
Decoding The Universe by Charles Seife, deals w/ quantum mechanics & information theory, ultimately posing the theory that some information theorists have, that the purpose of everything is the storage of & passing on of information.
Evolution For Everyone, "How Darwin's Theory of Evolution Can Change the Way We Think About Our Lives" by David Sloan Wilson, reveals how understanding evolution sheds light on much more than biological adaptations, including such things as social behaviors.
Read it, great book. As part of my alternative transportation bit, I was looking for more detail on how adding organization to a system increases entropy; reflexively, via the thermodynamics link to information theory, it can be established that optimal organization of a transport network means you don't have to drill (and fight) for more oil. Apologies in advance If I'm thinking of a different information theory book. Getting to the "brain like a sieve" stage of life.