>It was only in college, when I read Douglas Hofstadter’s Gödel, Escher, Bach
I see this book referenced all the time (HN, tech CEOs, misc. articles, etc), especially from folks who got into AI early. Is it really that amazing? Or is this some kind of signaling folks like to do to prove their smarts? Or both?
intrasight•11m ago
I read it shortly after it came out when I was in high school and it was sort of a mind blow - perhaps just because in the early 80s we didn't really get exposed to so many interesting ideas.
marssaxman•4m ago
It is unique; you've certainly never read anything else quite like it. Hofstadter is a careful thinker who loves language and wordplay. I've read a number of his other books, and some of his ways of thinking have stuck with me for years and shaped the way I see the world.
I realized after getting a degree in engineering from CMU that I should've loved biology so I went back to school after working as a software engineer for a year and studied neurobiology. And since then, I've suggested that people early in their career should take a break and go back to school and study something totally different.
Nicholas_C•19m ago
I see this book referenced all the time (HN, tech CEOs, misc. articles, etc), especially from folks who got into AI early. Is it really that amazing? Or is this some kind of signaling folks like to do to prove their smarts? Or both?
intrasight•11m ago
marssaxman•4m ago
soulofmischief•2m ago