Gödel, Escher, Bach

Book Description

10 Reviews

• 3 people find this helpful

  I read this before starting college, and decided that I wanted to major in "Godel Escher Bach." My primary criterion for choosing courses was to cover topics that were raised in this magnificant, panoramic, and brilliantly interesting book: AI, cognitive science, computer science, philosop ... (continue)

  I read this before starting college, and decided that I wanted to major in "Godel Escher Bach." My primary criterion for choosing courses was to cover topics that were raised in this magnificant, panoramic, and brilliantly interesting book: AI, cognitive science, computer science, philosophy, psychology, music, and art are woven together magically.

  Is this helpful?

  J.S. (testing) said on Oct 20, 2005 | Add your feedback

• 2 people find this helpful

  

  I'm not a Godel scholar, but a Bach fanatic (I admit, this is the reason why I bought the book.) This is a fascinating work blending artificial intelligence, philosophy, music, art, history, mathematics, logic - it's pretty much got something for everyone. Thought-provoking exploration of the sti ... (continue)

  I'm not a Godel scholar, but a Bach fanatic (I admit, this is the reason why I bought the book.) This is a fascinating work blending artificial intelligence, philosophy, music, art, history, mathematics, logic - it's pretty much got something for everyone. Thought-provoking exploration of the still-developing field of Artificial Intelligence and its philosophic ramifications, this is a truly interesting, unusual read.

  Is this helpful?

  guaddess said on Jul 27, 2007 | Add your feedback

• 1 person find this helpful

  i can't rate this as this was simply too hard for me! definitely worth re-reading though. it provides a possible answer to consciousness - how does the "being" arise from a bunch of neurons? is it some ethereal "soul" or does it have real roots in the nature of recursive dynamics?

  Is this helpful?

  Michaelkchan said on May 11, 2008 | Add your feedback

• 

  最初遇上這本書是大學一年級時，從電腦學會師兄的極力推介，他們把這本書捧為人生必頭的神作。可惜當年我程度不夠，翻了幾頁便給這本磚頭書嚇跑了。畢業至今十多年，我偶然也會聽見這本書的大名，久不久身邊便有人說此書乃非看不可的經典，對他曾有多深的影響，甚至改變了他對世界的看法。事隔十六年，我終於與此書再續當年在大學書店結下的前緣，前後花了三個月時間，慢慢把這本七百多頁的鉅著啃完。今年原本計畫看二十本書，為看這本只好重質不重量，這本書一本大慨抵得上十本書吧。

  這本書一般簡稱為GEB，作者花了十年時間才寫成，亦是他的第一本書，結果讓他舉成名，此書還奪得普立茲獎。Godel是數學家，發現不完全定律。Esch ... (continue)

  最初遇上這本書是大學一年級時，從電腦學會師兄的極力推介，他們把這本書捧為人生必頭的神作。可惜當年我程度不夠，翻了幾頁便給這本磚頭書嚇跑了。畢業至今十多年，我偶然也會聽見這本書的大名，久不久身邊便有人說此書乃非看不可的經典，對他曾有多深的影響，甚至改變了他對世界的看法。事隔十六年，我終於與此書再續當年在大學書店結下的前緣，前後花了三個月時間，慢慢把這本七百多頁的鉅著啃完。今年原本計畫看二十本書，為看這本只好重質不重量，這本書一本大慨抵得上十本書吧。

  這本書一般簡稱為GEB，作者花了十年時間才寫成，亦是他的第一本書，結果讓他舉成名，此書還奪得普立茲獎。Godel是數學家，發現不完全定律。Escher是畫家，以超現實的素描聞名，書中有大量他的畫作插圖。最後Bach是古典音樂家，他的樂章很複雜工整，把音符玩得出神入化。書中想想提及他的作品，可惜這本不是電子音沒有聲音，要自已上去Youtube聽。對於音樂的門外漢，只是聽也不易明白Bach音樂的美妙，Youtube上附上樂譜動畫，看音階不斷的位置重覆交錯，才看得出Bach作曲的鬼斧神工。數學，畫，音樂，作者從三種看似無關係的東西出發，慢慢地解釋教授各關的知識，用畫和音樂去輔助講解數學理論，交織出一個人類的自我意識是從何而來的答案。

  這本書的篇排很有心思，每一章之前有一段對話錄，幾個作者創造的角色在對話，大玩文字遊戲並發問啟導性的問題，可以視為接下來嚴肅內容的引言。這本書的上半部，從零開始便是去解釋歌德爾的不完全定律，由最基本的formal language，到number theory，到propositional calculus，一路由淺入深帶領讀者推論出Godel’s incomplete theorems，數學理論中必定不完全或內有矛盾。最重要是同時帶出strange loop異圈這個慨念，任何有自我指向特性的系統便是一個異圈。

  下半部涉獵的知識甚廣，包括人工智能電腦程式，基因和蛋白質的構造，人腦神經系統的構造等等。透過很多不同的科學中也隱含的異圈，作者嘗試解答心靈哲學中最重要的課題，到底什麼是智慧，什麼是思考，人類的自我意識是什麼。在低階組織的物理層面，腦部只是機械性化學反應，並沒有任何意識。可是當高階組織有了自我修改，自我指向的異圈結構，並不再限於機械式反射作用，意識便會從異圈中產生出來。

  我買那本書的二十周年紀念版，在書首作者加入了一篇導讀，因為實在太多讀者誤解了此書。好處是讓我已經知道書本的主旨說什麼，某程度上幫助我不至半途而癈。可是同時卻剝奪了我閱讀的樂趣，失去了當作者把書本中所有說過的所有知識，總結整合申引出自我意識理論時，讓我妨然大悟解謎的感覺。另外作者有偷懶之嫌，書中有些資料已經過時，例如電腦下棋，電腦翻釋等等，作者應該趁二十周年紀念版的機會，更新書中的內容與時並進。不過這些小問題，並不影響此書跨越時間的經典地位。

  Is this helpful?

  hevangel said on Jan 2, 2012 | Add your feedback

• 

  One of my absolute favorites of all time. A must read for anybody interested in the mind, philosophy, mathematics, and just life in general.

  Is this helpful?

  Tchitcherine111 said on Dec 17, 2011 | Add your feedback

• 

  I had high hopes for this book, after reading and thoroughly enjoying Le Ton Beau de Marot.
  Unfortunately, I didn't find GED as appealing as I thought it would be. Interesting subject, very clever use of language, but in the end I struggled to get it finished.

  Is this helpful?

  Simbul said on Jul 26, 2011 | Add your feedback

See all 10 comments

Book Details

• Rating:
  (142)
  • 5 stars
  • 4 stars
  • 3 stars
  • 2 stars
  • 1 star
• English Books
• Paperback 824 Pages
• Edition: 20
• ISBN-10: 0140289208
• ISBN-13: 9780140289206
• Publisher: Penguin Books
• Pub date: Mar 30, 2000
• Dimensions: 1484 mm x 968 mm x 258 mm Just how big is that?
• Also available as: Hardcover
• In other languages: other languages 简体书, Livres Français, Deutsche Bücher, Libros en Español, Libri Italiani, Nederlandse Boeken, Svenska böcker

Improve data of this book

Groups with this in collection

• ....compro su iBs.... (1)
• The Collective (144)
• bookcrossing (1709)
• Mathematics (571)
• Science and Nature (188)

Prices Change currency & sellers

ISBN	Edition	List	Sale	Seller
9780140289206	Paperback	$30.57	$27.34	The Book Depository
Other editions →
+ 2 copies tradable: 1 in USA →