Godel escher bach by douglas r hofstadter abebooks. The man who would teach machines to think the atlantic. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 822 pages and is available in paperback format. I can only warmly invite the reader to take the time to enjoy this book a gr friend of mine stated that this is one of the very few books that he did read twice, and i perfectly understand why.
Intelligence, art, music, and life are a strange loop. Douglas hofstadter project gutenberg selfpublishing. His previous books are the pulitzer prizewinning godel, escher, bach. Every few decades an unknown author brings out a book of such depth, clarity, range, wit, beauty and originality that it is recognized at once as a major literary. But in a deeper sense, the match between deep blue and kasparov proves. Books in the bibliography of godel, escher, bach by douglas. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. Read more read less free expedited delivery and up to 30% off rrp on select textbooks shipped and sold by amazon au.
Bach, escher and godels strange loops may have the answer. Godel, escher, bach is easily my favourite book, and has been for the thirtyodd years since i first read it. Nominated as finalists in general nonfiction in 1980. Godel, escher, back contains many ideas in different areas. Godel, escher, bach by douglas hofstadter alltime 100. If life can grow out of the formal chemical substrate of the cell, if consciousness can emerge out of a formal system of firing neurons, then so too will. Hofstadter is the son of nobel prizewinning physicist robert hofstadter. Douglas hofstadters godel, escher, bach geb youtube. But anyone used to reading douglas hofstadter will have learned to put up with. If you are willing to put in the work to understand it, your mind will be blown.
In some ways, godel, escher, bach is an entire humanistic education between the covers of a. Escher, and composer johann sebastian bach, the book expounds concepts fundamental to mathematics, symmetry, and intelligence. If life can grow out of the formal chemical substrate of the. Hofstadter and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Godel, escher, bach is a wonderful exploration of fascinating ideas at the heart of cognitive science. Borrowing a page from lewis carroll who might well have been a fan of this book, each chapter presents dialogue between the tortoise and achilles, as well as other characters who dramatize concepts discussed later in more detail. Winner of the pulitzer prizea metaphorical fugue on minds and machines in the spirit of lewis. An eternal golden braid is still something of a marvel. Douglas hofstadter, the pulitzer prizewinning author of godel, escher. Godel escher bach by hofstadter, first edition abebooks. Everybodys favorite is the concept of entropy, a measure of disorder in thermodynamics. An eternal golden braid is an intellectual treatise on the ways by which thinking and cognitive abilities emerge from logical constructions. Godel, escher and bach, written by douglas hofstadter, while the title would suggest it is discussion of a mathematician, an artist, and a composer, is a complex examination of how human beings develop perception and meaning. Both books are complex, with discursive passages on mathematics and a positively weird sense of humor.
Douglas hofstadter combines and links the various themes associated with the characters in the title and some others in fascinating and imaginative ways. Hofstadter carries within it the seed of an answer to your skepticism. Escher, dali, and the artists of optical illusion by. An eternal golden braid, also known as geb, is a 1979 book by douglas hofstadter. By exploring common themes in the lives and works of logician kurt godel, artist m. The main characters of this science, non fiction story are. An eternal golden braid reissue by hofstadter, douglas r. Written by douglas r hofstadter, godel, escher, bach. Godel, escher, bach by douglas hofstadter the strange loop phenomenon occurs whenever by moving upwards or downwards through the levels of some hierarchical system, we unexpectedly find ourselves right back where we started.
Douglas richard hofstadter born february 15, 1945 is an american professor of cognitive science whose research focuses on the sense of i, 2 3 consciousness, analogymaking, artistic creation, literary translation, and discovery in mathematics and physics. Douglas hofstadters book is concerned directly with the nat. An eternal golden braid commonly geb is a pulitzer prizewinning book by douglas hofstadter, described as a metaphorical fugue on minds and machines in the spirit of lewis carroll. Hofstadters great achievement in godel, escher, bach was making abstruse mathematical topics like undecidability, recursion, and strange loops accessible and remarkably entertaining. Hofstadter douglas hofstadters book is concerned directly with the nature of maps or links between formal systems. Hofstadter overview this groundbreaking pulitzer prizewinning book sets the standard for interdisciplinary writing, exploring the patterns and symbols in the thinking of mathematician kurt godel, artist m. Douglas grew up on the campus of stanford university, where his father was a professor. An eternal golden braid, first published in 1979, won both the pulitzer prize for general nonfiction and a national book award at that time called the american book award for science. This playlist contains supplementary materials for the book godel, escher, bach geb by douglas hofstadter. In 1979, a cult book by douglas hofstadter explored consciousness via a. For hofstadter, consciousness emerge as what he calls a strange loop. Douglas hofstadters book is concerned directly with the nature of maps or links between formal systems.
In terms of both content and method, godel, escher, bach has been a real source of inspiration in how to examine a problem in an unconstrained way. An eternal golden braid, also known as geb, is a book by douglas. In 1980 a 34yearold professor of computer science at indiana university named douglas hofstadter won the pulitzer prize for godel escher bach, making it one of the greatest and most unlikely success stories in the history of the prize. Winner of the pulitzer prizea metaphorical fugue on minds and machines in the spirit of lewis carrolldouglas hofstadters book is concerned directly with the nature of maps or links between formal systems.
He exemplifies this by providing examples of loops in backs music, eschers sketches, and godels theorems. However, according to hofstadter, the formal system that underlies all mental activity transcends the system that supports it. Chris hildrey is inspired by godel, escher, bach ribaj. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
However, it seems to me that those ideas are all tied on a single question. An eternal golden braid by douglas r hofstadter, basic books, 1979. An eternal golden braid by hofstadter, douglas and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. I enjoyed it and found it very fun and informative, overall. This year is the 40th anniversary of the publication of one of the cult books of my generation. Twenty years after it topped the bestseller charts, douglas r.
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