Yes that kind of mental-masturbation excites me too ;)
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
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?