They actually tried to introduce decimal time[1], as well as a decimal week[2]. They didn't stick though.

If you are interested on the topic of the history of the metric system, check out The Measure of All Things[3], an absolutely fantastic read

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimal_time

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Republican_Calendar

[3] https://www.amazon.com/Measure-All-Things-Seven-Year-Transfo...

I just came across Hofstadter's "I am a Strange Loop" ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_a_Strange_Loop ) in the library for the first time today. I personally care about his ideas of strange loops very much, but since it's his attempt (20 years later) to clarify and expand his central theme in GEB, it should be appealing to people who liked his writing there.

(Note: I haven't actually read it, just got to flip through sections for a few minutes. It seems to be a nice mix of Hofstadter's personal stories and ideas, and I liked the writing, so I intend to read it soon.)

An for "similar to fiction, although I'm generally not into fiction" have you looked into narratives of science? They can be written with the fun aspects of historical fiction, but you come out with knowledge about real events. My favorite that comes to mind is "The Measure of All Things" about the history of the meter: http://www.amazon.com/Measure-All-Things-Seven-Year-Transfor...