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Metamagical Themas: Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern
 
 
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Metamagical Themas: Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern (Paperback)

by Douglas R. Hofstadter (Author) "I never expected to be writing a column for Scientific American ..." (more)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 880 pages
  • Publisher: Basic Books; New edition edition (15 Mar 1996)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0465045669
  • ISBN-13: 978-0465045662
  • Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.2 x 4.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 330,066 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Product Description

Hofstadters collection of quirky essays is unified by its primary concern: to examine the way people perceive and think..
Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
I never expected to be writing a column for Scientific American. Read the first page
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Concordance
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Metamagical Themas: Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern
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Customer Reviews

9 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars THE book for castaways on a desert island, 1 Dec 2002
By Bibliomaniac (Somewhere in England) - See all my reviews
I've owned this book for years, and every time I return to it I still find something fresh to think about. It's crammed with ideas both playful and serious, all woven around the general theme of "what is mind, what is consciousness?" No-one will love every single chapter, and the ones I find dull might be the ones you love most, but you'll find something to ponder and play with on every page. Whether you start by designing your own alphabet or fooling around with recursion and self-reference, you'll be stimulated.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Many, many, many topics, 15 Jun 1999
By A Customer
In this collection of articles from his days as a regular with "Scientific American," Hoftstadter covers everything from self-referential statements (like this one), the Rubik's Cube, nuclear proliferation, the prisoner's dilemma, sexist language, fonts, and more.

Surprisingly, most of these topics become intertwined throughout the work (in fact, one of Hofstadter's goals). It's amazing as he runs the gamut, and you see the connections being built!

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars More accesible than 'Godel Escher Bach' review by P. Hancock, 23 April 1998
By A Customer
Having been turned onto this amazing author by 'GEB', I approached it with some caution. GEB was like going to the cinema to see Arnie Schwartzenegger and wandering into a complex foriegn language movie without subtitles instead. Fascinating and deep. Metamagical themas is more accesible and fun, containing a series of short articles on a vast array of subjects. I have long regretted the fact that the 'renaissance man' cannot exist anymore, there is too much to know. After reading this book, DH comes close.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A dazzling excursion through science, art and the mind
When Hofstadter took over Scientific American's "Mathematical Games" column, he not only rearranged the letters of its title but used it to write about anything that attracted his... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Dr. M. L. Poulter

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best non-fiction books I have read
This is a great book by Hofstadter.It encompasses many topics ranging from viral sentences to nuclear annihilation.His explanations are second only to Asimov. Read more
Published on 24 Aug 1999

1.0 out of 5 stars Like a Chinese meal, "Less than the sum of its parts"
This is a quote from the work under review.

Hofstadter's shrill, patronising and brash speculations have not withstood the lessons of history. Read more

Published on 14 Jun 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars Hofstadter did it again!
Even if you haven't read Godel, Escher, Bach, you should definitely read this book. As with GEB, there's something here for everyone: music, math, logic, and so much more. Read more
Published on 8 April 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a review of Metamagical Themas.
This is the first sentence in a review of Metamagical Themas. This is the second sentence, pointing out that in the context of a book review, the form of self-reference is almost... Read more
Published on 19 April 1997

5.0 out of 5 stars Douglas delights again with this romp through reality.
In true Hofstaderian form, this book is a fascinating journey through the world of self-reference. By combining topics from science, literature, and the arts, the author draws... Read more
Published on 5 Nov 1996

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