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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A truly mind-expanding book. Should be compulsory., 14 Sep 1999
By A Customer
This feast of a book is concerned with the nature of intelligence and the possibility (or otherwise) of artificial intelligence. Drawing on ideas from the music of J. S. Bach and the perspective-illusion images of M. C. Escher, Hofstadter brilliant explains many ideas from philosophy, psychology, computing, mathematics and biology in his quest to answer the fundamental question: is artificial intelligence possible? Along the way we learn about cell replication, viruses, number theory, and Zen Buddhism - as well as discovering how Kurt Godel shattered David Hilbert's dream of a mathematical formula that would test the truth of any mathematical hypothesis. We also meet Alan Turing, the British genius who laid the foundations for modern computing, and who's pioneering work at Bletchley Park led to the breaking of the German 'Enigma' code - the man who arguably saved the world from Hitler, and was subsequently hounded to death by MI5 because, as a homosexual, he was considered a liability. This book is massive, mind-expanding, and eminently readable; probably the most important 'popular science' book I've read. Hofstadter is a very good writer indeed. Without oversimplifying his subject matter, he makes it interesting and understandable to the intelligent general reader. Mike Alexander Brighton
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