Goedel, Escher, Bach

[VetLegion]

I've just started reading it. I know many of you have read it? It got a little bit complex on page 2. Should I pursue reading or quit?

[civman2000]

Great book ! Keep going by all means!

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I was given this book as a gift by my girlfriend when I was in high school.

I'll turn 43 next week.

I still haven't finished it. But I intend to...

[Petek]

I read it a long time ago. Parts of it will be hard going unless you've got a math or computer science background. However, you can skip over anything you don't completely understand and still get lots out of it. I knew one person who only read the dialogs that open each chapter and still enjoyed it.

[SnowFire]

It's a fantastic book, and you can definitely make it through, at the very least, the first half.

Keep at it! (I'll admit it did take two gos with me, once to get up to the first half, and a second time to finish all the way through).

[VetLegion]

OK, I'll keep reading.

[Traianvs]

what book is that and who's the author?

[Ecthy]

Added to list at Amazon, seems to be cool. Haven't made the purchase yet, though, still not certain about it.

More pros!

[VetLegion]

This is one book that all quasiintellectuals recommend to each other. It was bound to be recommended to me sooner or later, but now I worry if mathematics will be too difficult.

By the way, it pays off just to refresh knowledge about Escher's work. I'm going through some galleries right now. Very nice.

[Brundlefly]

Re: Goedel, Escher, Bach

Originally posted by VetLegion
I've just started reading it. I know many of you have read it? It got a little bit complex on page 2. Should I pursue reading or quit?

You made it to page 2? Good work! I made it 1.5 pages before putting it down and not picking it up again. That was back in the 80's..

[VetLegion]

I've got into it 20 or 30 pages now. He explains Goedel's work now. I've donwnloaded Goedel's theorems and proofs and don't understand them at all. Should I:

1) Invest time to grasp the basics of number theory and understand the proofs

2) Proceed reading with a vague understanding of Goedel's work

3) abandon the book as too difficult?

[civman2000]

You've "downloaded Goedel's theorems and proofs"? If you mean you've found their rigorous, mathematical statements, it's no wonder you can't understand them. It's actually quite a technical theorem, and you couldn't understand the full proof without a strong mathematical background. Hofstadter's version is very understandable though; a basic acquaintance with formal logic is all that's needed, and even without that I'd imagine you could work through it (though it would be a lot harder).

So I recommend option 2.

[VetLegion]

Civman2000, that's probably what I'm going to do.

[VetLegion]

By the way, the proof is not supposed to be hard, proofs are usually obvious when you read them and easy to comprehend. But I don't know the theory within which the proof is done, I don't understand the notation used, so I'll skip it... not with an easy heart though. Goedel's theorems are essential in this book. I'm trusting you that the author does a good work explaining them in language.

[Lul Thyme]

I have a math background and also suggest option 2.
I read the book maybe two years ago, thought it was good, though got maybe a bit bogged down and repetitive in the second half. Second half should have been condensed a bit...