The word bothered him

He began then, bewilderingly, to talk about something called entropy. The word bothered him as much as "Trystero" bothered Oedipa. But it was too technical for her. She did gather that there were two distinct kinds of entropy. One having to do with heat-engines, the other to do with communication. The equation for one, back in the '30's, had looked very like the equation for the other. It was a coincidence. The two fields were entirely unconnected, except at one point: Maxwell's Demon. As the Demon sat and sorted his molecules into hot and cold, the system was said to lose entropy. But somehow the loss was offset by the information the Demon gained about what molecules were where.

--Thomas Pynchon, The Crying of Lot 49

Certificate for a Fix

Work has long been an enabler for my book addiction, but never quite so literally. On Tuesday, I received a gift certificate for Chapters Indigo worth 10 dollars as a goodbye present for my contributions to the team (generic contributions, we all got one).

What to buy? I want to spend it soon; it's burning a hole in my pocket as well as my soul.

Suggestions are absolutely welcome. Here's some candidates from my usual scope and loiter at the book shops:

Atrocity Exhibition by J.G. Ballard

Candide by Voltaire (which I already own in cheapo version-- but look an edition with Chris Ware cover and French flaps!-- meaning I'd have a copy to give away afterwards)

Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon

The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs (the current frontrunner)