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Gödel Escher Bach? Or maybe that’s just me! Gonna get through it one of these days…

by dan-g 3y ago

clubm8 3y ago
i met that guy in a bar once he was amused i had no idea who he is and said his book was too complicated so i read lolita instead. won't say where other than there was a social event he does -- apparently people low key stalk the poor bastard. it was weird to me, the koi no yukan style japanophile then the other folks got pissed i started doing poetry at them centered around the fact they read nothing but pornography catering to their fetishes ("lolita loving white feminist, name me any other nabokov" is a fun way to have someone with a juris doctorate chuck a glass at your head)
tmaly 3y ago
no, it's not just you. I only made it about 1/4 of the way through
- joshxyz 3y ago
  i didn't make it to the first 10 pages. that's just next level nerd to me. i was in awe though to learn they are peers of einstein and oppenheimer.
usgroup 3y ago
I suspect this may be a first contact with deeper philosophy for many, which accounts for its popularity on HN. Its doubtful that it breaks any new Philosophical ground, and interested parties may be better advised to just read a history of philosophy a an approachable introduction such as Bertrand Russell's work.
- danschuller 3y ago
  A history of western philosophy? GEB and that book don't have much overlap in content and GEB is a more fun read. History of Western Philosophy is occasionally witty but is otherwise pretty dry. GEB isn't much to do with philosophy at all, it's more focused on computing and touches on philosophy where that seems relevant.
ironlake 3y ago
It's not a good book. The metaphors are tortured and unrelatable.
thorin 3y ago
It's a tough one. I took it as my only distraction on a week long meditation course. I had no technology, phone signal etc and this was the only book I had with me. I managed to read about a quarter of it and would really need to be in that kind of situation to finish it I think. A great desert island book though, I think.

Gödel Escher Bach? Or maybe that’s just me! Gonna get through it one of these days…

by dan-g 3y ago

Gödel Escher Bach? Or maybe that’s just me! Gonna get through it one of these days…

i met that guy in a bar once he was amused i had no idea who he is and said his book was too complicated so i read lolita instead. won't say where other than there was a social event he does -- apparently people low key stalk the poor bastard. it was weird to me, the koi no yukan style japanophile then the other folks got pissed i started doing poetry at them centered around the fact they read nothing but pornography catering to their fetishes ("lolita loving white feminist, name me any other nabokov" is a fun way to have someone with a juris doctorate chuck a glass at your head)

tmaly 3y ago

no, it's not just you. I only made it about 1/4 of the way through

joshxyz 3y ago
i didn't make it to the first 10 pages. that's just next level nerd to me. i was in awe though to learn they are peers of einstein and oppenheimer.

usgroup 3y ago

I suspect this may be a first contact with deeper philosophy for many, which accounts for its popularity on HN. Its doubtful that it breaks any new Philosophical ground, and interested parties may be better advised to just read a history of philosophy a an approachable introduction such as Bertrand Russell's work.

danschuller 3y ago
A history of western philosophy? GEB and that book don't have much overlap in content and GEB is a more fun read. History of Western Philosophy is occasionally witty but is otherwise pretty dry. GEB isn't much to do with philosophy at all, it's more focused on computing and touches on philosophy where that seems relevant.

ironlake 3y ago

It's not a good book. The metaphors are tortured and unrelatable.

thorin 3y ago

It's a tough one. I took it as my only distraction on a week long meditation course. I had no technology, phone signal etc and this was the only book I had with me. I managed to read about a quarter of it and would really need to be in that kind of situation to finish it I think. A great desert island book though, I think.