Gödel, Escher, Bach by Douglas Hofstadter

Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas R. Hofstadter is one of the most celebrated and unusual books ever written about mathematics, logic, art, music and the nature of human thought. 

Using the work of mathematician Kurt Gödel, artist M. C. Escher and composer Johann Sebastian Bach as starting points, Hofstadter explores the surprising connections between seemingly unrelated subjects. Through a mixture of mathematical ideas, philosophical discussions, puzzles, dialogues and illustrations, he investigates questions about consciousness, intelligence, self-reference and the possibility of artificial intelligence.

First published in 1979, the book became an international classic and won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction. Hofstadter's playful and inventive approach makes difficult ideas accessible while continually encouraging the reader to think about how minds and machines work.

This Penguin edition is an excellent choice for readers interested in mathematics, philosophy, computer science, artificial intelligence, music, art and the deeper questions surrounding consciousness.

Although not an origami book, Gödel, Escher, Bach will appeal to folders interested in the mathematical and creative ideas underlying origami, particularly symmetry, geometry, patterns, transformation and recursive structures.

Introduction

Part I — GEB
Introduction; The Mu Offering; Meaning and Form in Mathematics; Sonnet; Three-Part Invention; Recursive Variations and Recursive Structures; Isomorphism; Little Harmonic Labyrinth; The Propositional Calculus; The Consistency of Typographical Number Theory; Canon by Intervallic Augmentation; Formal Systems; Prelude... Ant Fugue; Meaning and Form in Mathematics; A MU Offering.

Part II — EGB
The Strangeness of Loops; A Tangled Hierarchy; The Location of Meaning; The Self; The Brain and the Mind; The Soul; The Many Faces of Self-Reference; The Levels of Explanation; The Puzzle of Consciousness; The Brain as a Symbol System.

Part III — GEB
Gödel's Theorem; Escher's Drawings; Bach's Music; The Eternal Golden Braid; Strange Loops and Tangled Hierarchies; Minds and Machines; Artificial Intelligence; The Limits of Formal Systems; Consciousness and Self-Reference.

Book Details

Author: Douglas R. Hofstadter
Publisher: Penguin Books
Publication date: 1979
Edition: Penguin paperback
Pages: 800
Dimensions: 23.3 × 15.4 × 3.6 cm

Preloved. Some rubbing and wear to the covers and edges; internally clean and sound.