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Douglas R. Hofstadter
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Metamagical Themas: Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern Paperback – January 1, 1985

by Douglas R Hofstadter (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 110 ratings
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Hofstadter's collection of quirky essays is unified by its primary concern: to examine the way people perceive and think.
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  1. Print length
    852 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Basic Books
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 1985
  5. Dimensions
    6.25 x 1.5 x 9.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0465045669
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0465045662
  8. Lexile measure
    1210L
  9. See all details
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From the Publisher

Hofstadter Hofstadter Hofstadter Hofstadter Hofstadter
Godel, Escher, Bach I Am a Strange Loop Le Ton Beau De Marot The Mind's I Surfaces and Essences
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4.7 out of 5 stars
2,314
4.4 out of 5 stars
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4.6 out of 5 stars
79
4.3 out of 5 stars
133
4.3 out of 5 stars
182
Price $14.99 $12.99 $49.99 $23.99 $20.99
Explore the Works of Douglas R. Hofstadter A wonderful exploration of fascinating ideas at the heart of cognitive science: meaning, reduction, recursion, and much more. This book argues that the key to understanding selves and consciousness is the “strange loop” a special kind of abstract feedback loop inhabiting our brains. An autobiographical essay, a love letter to the French language, a series of musings on life, loss, and death, a sweet bouquet of stirring poetry—but most of all, it celebrates the limitless creativity fired by a passion for the music of words. This book explores the meaning of self and consciousness through the perspectives of literature, artificial intelligence, psychology, and other disciplines. Now, with his wit and special talent for making complex ideas vivid, Hofstadter has partnered with Sander to put forth a highly novel perspective on cognition. This book will profoundly enrich our understanding of our own minds.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Douglas Hofstadter is College of Arts and Sciences Professor of Cognitive Science and Computer Science at Indiana University, Bloomington. His other books include the Pulitzer Prize-winning Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid; Metamagical Themas; The Mind's I; Fluid Concepts and Creative Analogies; Le Ton beau de Marot; and Surfaces and Essences, with Emmanuel Sander. He lives in Bloomington, Indiana.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Basic Books; Book Club (BCE/BOMC) edition (January 1, 1985)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 852 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0465045669
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0465045662
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1210L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.35 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1.5 x 9.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 110 ratings

About the author

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Douglas R. Hofstadter

Douglas R. Hofstadter

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Douglas Richard Hofstadter (born February 15, 1945) is an American professor of cognitive science whose research focuses on the sense of "I", consciousness, analogy-making, artistic creation, literary translation, and discovery in mathematics and physics. He is best known for his book Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, first published in 1979. It won both the Pulitzer Prize for general non-fiction and a National Book Award (at that time called The American Book Award) for Science. His 2007 book I Am a Strange Loop won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Science and Technology.

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
110 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

john
5.0 out of 5 stars Just as described - new, well wrapped during shipping!
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2024
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I appreciated the care of wrapping - not just thrown in a box, but wrapped in bubble wrap and protected. This is the 2nd order I have placed with them, and both have been great. Book as advertised or better, shipping fast and well protected. Very good seller.
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Nick N
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding and thought provoking- must read
Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2017
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Godel, Escher, Bach was an important book in my life, so I put Metamagical Themas on my to-read list. It took me a few years to get to it due to the intimidating length, but I finally had the chance to read it.

I can't speak highly enough of Metamagical Themas. I loved the broad range of topics. The depth and thoughtfulness of the work of the work are incredible. I think about things I read in this book on a daily basis in both my work and personal life.
15 people found this helpful
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J. M. Buccigross
5.0 out of 5 stars Hofstadter Sparkes!
Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2013
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Hofstadter first wrote "Godel, Escher, and Bach", a magnum opus right out of the starting gate, followed up by the collection of essays in "The Mind's 'I'" that, while not surpassing "Godel, Escher & Bach", is regardless still a worthy second offering. And once again, Hofstadter's intellect & wit sparkle with "Metamagical Thema". If you enjoyed & were intrigued by Hofstadter's first two efforts, you will not be disappointed with his latest. Intelligent, intriguing and entertaining. Recreation and exercise for the intellect & the soul!
7 people found this helpful
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KB
4.0 out of 5 stars an oldie but a goodie
Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2014
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I first read this book when I was a nerdy high school student. I didn't understand half of it at the time. Now I understand a bit more. Hofstadter's ideas are pretty complex, but he has an engaging style and unassuming air that make his ideas more accessible to the average person.
One person found this helpful
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Edoardo Angeloni
5.0 out of 5 stars A very important text about the modern science.
Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2014
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The author is famous talkimg about several arguments of the modern science, particularly in relation to the artificial intelligence. Those applications are significative because they are considered around musics, languages of words, strange attractors, recursive procedures. We are so in the first times of this science and the approach is interesting for how is developped the Turing Test.
2 people found this helpful
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LindaRuth V.
5.0 out of 5 stars A writer that keeps you thinking!
Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2016
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I fell in love with the writer's first book, "Goedel, Escher, Bach, the Eternal Golden Braid" in the 1980's and wore out my first copies, and have been reading his books ever since. He never lets me down!
3 people found this helpful
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From Paris
3.0 out of 5 stars wise to know
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2014
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What was the question he was trying to answer? If he had known the answer would he have entered into a dialog with himself? I believe this man believes that math can speak, quite literally for itself, as an imaginary friend, and this may be real, but.... The whimsy of this is incredible, and I enjoy the idea, but for so quick and deft as we move through such means, it takes us to self referentiality, and destroys its path. The book is a tome, and I have only read GEB, and wondered, what he had searched for, to then begin at a premise of a true statement of incompleteness, but be so unblissfully aware that it leads back to itself, as a proposition with no meaning. Sketched in ink, this might make sense, but without-ness is not articulable, and everywhere a self referentiality, that is dispositional to its own namesake. Where he went with this concept is the most distressing of all, in his third book. Either he read Julian Jaynes, or he is unfair and unkind to animals, now and then plantlife, and this I cannot accept. A mosquito does dream. Surely if he believed in the mathemagics, then he would respect the life of this creation, and would understand his own work, or would never have pursued bridging and pulling apart the two ends of this spectrum, through such works. I wonder in earnestness if he wrote the last book, because intelligence implies kindness, and empathy, and sympathy for life.
3 people found this helpful
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M. Easterbrook
5.0 out of 5 stars Douglas Hoefstdtler at his best
Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2013
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A collection of the Metamagical themas column form Scientific American with responses, additions and some articles never published. Something for everybody. Insights into things one never knew you liked. It should be on the list of best books if you could only have one.
3 people found this helpful
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Tadeo Enrique Velazquez Caldelas
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente libro
Reviewed in Mexico on June 14, 2017
Verified Purchase
Este, como todos los textos de Douglas R Hofstadter es una maravilla de leer.

Quizás sea necesario leer algunos pasajes mas de un par de veces pero vale completamente la pena.

El libro está lleno de ideas interesantes y originales.

Ampliamente recomendado para la gente a la que le gusta pensar e ir un poco mas allá.
One person found this helpful
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Carmen
5.0 out of 5 stars Bevorzugter Autor
Reviewed in Germany on November 4, 2014
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Ich schätze den Autor sehr, und lese seine Bücher sehr gerne. Das Buch ist wie immer sehr interessant und anregend.
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RS
3.0 out of 5 stars The usual
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 28, 2009
Verified Purchase
This is a good offering from the author, and if you're looking for some light reading, you will be sorely disappointed. An entertaining, thought-provoking volume that will sit solidly on your shelf for years to come.
2 people found this helpful
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