Gödel, Escher, Bach by Douglas Hofstadter
The book explores concepts of formal systems, recursion, self-reference, and infinity through the interdisciplinary lens of mathematics, art, and music. The narrative intertwines biographical sketches of the titular figures - a mathematician, an artist, and a composer - with dialogues and discussions to illustrate complex ideas. The author uses these figures as metaphors to delve into the nature of human cognition and consciousness, suggesting that our minds are essentially self-referential systems akin to the works of Gödel, Escher, and Bach.
The 1652nd greatest book of all time
- Published
- 1979
- Nationality
- American
- Type
- Nonfiction
- Pages
- around 800
- Words
- 193,000
- Original Language
- English
If you're interested in seeing the ranking details on this book go here
This book is on the following lists:
- 5th on Best Science Book Ever (the Royal Institution of Great Britain)
- Select 100 (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee)
- Pulitzer Prize for Non-Fiction (Pulitzer Prize)
- 50 Best Cult Books (Telegraph)