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I read GEB cover to cover and haven’t stopped thinking about it for years. Not a brag, a nudge that it’s not impenetrable and more people should read it.
by m-hodges 1mo ago
I read GEB cover to cover and haven’t stopped thinking about it for years. Not a brag, a nudge that it’s not impenetrable and more people should read it.
- voxadam 1mo agoIt's been years since I cracked open a copy, maybe I should give it another shot.
- floxy 1mo agoIf you want to get to the meat of the issue, without the extraneous stuff, you might also tackle: Godel's Theorem Simplified. https://www.amazon.com/Godels-Theorem-Simplified-Harry-Gensler/dp/081913869X https://www.amazon.com/Godels-Theorem-Simplified-Harry-Gensl...
- lanstin 1mo agoThe extraneous stuff is honestly fabulous, IMO of course. Just being able to listen to a four part fugue sensibly is a rare but accessible pleasure. And amusing dialogs as an instantiated dialectic for showing the truth synthesized from apparent opposites, is a great pedagogical learning.
- m-hodges 1mo agoExtremely agree. The extraneous stuff is what makes the book magical.
- anthonygd 1mo agoI read it on my honeymoon 25 years ago. That book sticks with you.
- debo_ 1mo agoAre you still married?
- bryanrasmussen 1mo agofinally we shall be able to answer the age old question - does Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid stick with you better than a spouse!
- debo_ 1mo agoGodel, Escher, Bachelor?
- wwweston 1mo agoI thought the recommended honeymoon reading was Knuth’s _Surreal Numbers_
- buildsjets 1mo agoI’m working on it every day during lunch break. Good old hardcopy.
- eru 1mo agoI read it cover to cove back in the day and enjoyed it. But I'm not sure more people should read it today. If they do and enjoy it, good for them! But many parts haven't aged all that well. However, I can still very warmly recommend 'The Pleasures of Counting' to this very day.
- jstanley 1mo agoWhat hasn't aged well? I don't think any of it is dated to any particular time period.
- black_knight 1mo agoGEB is not a difficult read. It is delightful! It is a popular science book which catches the vibe of mathematical logic in an excellent way. It is not a textbook, nor a piece of research. It's all vibes, but high-quality vibes. If you are in the right headspace it can be really inspiring!
- lanstin 1mo agoI had my copy signed by Prof Hofstadter; a treasure to this day. Led to a maths degree, years of organ playing classes, a career in software, and a Zen practice going on 20 years. And I'm pescatarian. I even wrote a few haiku when my babies were little. Hmm, time for another listen to a Tocatta and Fugue.