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[link] If anyone wants to discuss Gödel, Escher, Bach, we have a read-through of it going in /r/rational. Join us!

9 [deleted] 16 March 2015 07:16PM

http://www.reddit.com/r/rational/comments/2z8zm5/geb_discussion_1_introduction_a_musicological/

"Gödel, Escher, Bach" by Douglas R. Hofstadter is the most awesome book that I have ever read. If there is one book that emphasizes the tragedy of Death, it is this book, because it's terrible that so many people have died without reading it."

- Eliezer Yudkowsky

Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid is an excellent primer on subjects related to artificial intelligence, like self-reference, metamathematics, formal rules and cognitive science. Yudkowsky has said about the book that it's "the best and most beautiful book ever written by the human species." It was the book that Yudkowsky said launched his career in artificial intelligence and cognitive science.

That's why we decided to start a read-through of it in reddit.com/r/rational. If you have any interest in analyzing or discussing the book, join us!

Comments (10)

Comment author: acchan 18 March 2015 04:15:54AM 2 points [-]

Thanks OP. I'm in.

Comment author: closeness 16 March 2015 09:13:10PM 2 points [-]

What are Eliezers other favourite books?

Comment author: closeness 16 March 2015 09:15:19PM 3 points [-]
Comment author: Capla 21 March 2015 11:13:42PM 0 points [-]

I've been planing on staring this soon. Is it important to have a recent edition. How much has changed since the first publishing?

Comment author: Styrke 22 March 2015 09:08:04PM *  0 points [-]

I'm just starting to read the 20th-anniversary edition (from 1999 I think) and he states in the preface that even the typos haven't been corrected.

Comment author: sediment 22 March 2015 09:17:42PM 0 points [-]

But the preface is extensive and interesting, and contains his updated thoughts on several aspects of the book.

Comment author: Capla 23 March 2015 03:03:05PM *  0 points [-]

Is it worth buying a more recent edition for the preface?

Comment author: sediment 26 March 2015 08:55:19PM 0 points [-]

No.

Comment author: Styrke 24 March 2015 05:39:17PM 0 points [-]

In my version of the book the preface is 23 pages. I wouldn't buy a new book just for that.

Comment author: Capla 23 March 2015 03:05:55PM 0 points [-]

How long is that preface?