Toronto: Science & Philosophy Book Club

Hosted by CFI Canada member Christine Gagnon, the goal is to provide a friendly, free-thinking environment in which to discuss books that inspire rewarding conversation on subjects related to science and philosophy.

Suggested donation is $5.

THIS MONTH’S BOOK SELECTION: Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid (PART TWO) by Douglas R. Hofstadter

According to reviewer Greg Sewell this is not a simple read and many other community reviews on Goodreads would heartily agree. Sewell says the ideas are complex and the logic subtle, but it is a completely satisfying book, and reading it is one of those rare experiences when you leave feeling smarter than when you started.

By looking at the brilliant minds of mathematician Kurt Godel, graphic artist M. C. Escher, and composer Johann Sebastian Bach, computer-science and cognitive-science professor Douglas Hofstadter ties together the aesthetic gift of pattern recognition and manipulation with theories on artificial intelligence, human intelligence, and the essence of self-awareness. Does that do the book justice? Not at all; Godel, Escher, Bach cannot be explained without delving deeply into the structure of the book itself and the analysis of self-representation Hofstadter weaves through his appreciation of the art of Bach, the designs of Escher, and the theories of Godel.