You should be glad that James Gleick is way smarter than you. Not only can he understand complex scientific concepts like quantum physics and chaos theory, he's also gifted enough to explain them in pleasant, understandable language. His newest book, The Information, is a history of humanity's relationship with information, from African talking drums to quantum computing. If you think the information age started with Aol.com, you're wrong: All human history is about information, all the way down to our DNA. This is the page-turner you never knew you desperately wanted to read. (Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave, 624-6600, 7:30 pm, $5)