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I Am a Strange Loop Hardcover – March 26, 2007

by Douglas R. Hofstadter (Author)

183 customer reviews

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What do we mean when we say "I"? Can thought arise out of matter? Can a self, a soul, a consciousness, an "I" arise out of mere matter? If it cannot, then how can you or I be here? I Am a Strange Loop argues that the key to understanding selves and consciousness is the "strange loop"--a special kind of abstract feedback loop inhabiting our brains. Deep down, a human brain is a chaotic seething soup of particles, on a higher level it is a jungle of neurons, and on a yet higher level it is a network of abstractions that we call "symbols." The most central and complex symbol in your brain or mine is the one we both call "I." The "I" is the nexus in our brain where the levels feed back into each other and flip causality upside down, with symbols seeming to have free will and to have gained the paradoxical ability to push particles around, rather than the reverse. For each human being, this "I" seems to be the realest thing in the world. But how can such a mysterious abstraction be real--or is our "I" merely a convenient fiction? Does an "I" exert genuine power over the particles in our brain, or is it helplessly pushed around by the all-powerful laws of physics? These are the mysteries tackled in I Am a Strange Loop, Douglas R. Hofstadter's first book-length journey into philosophy since Godel, Escher, Bach. Compulsively readable and endlessly thought-provoking, this is the book Hofstadter's many readers have long been waiting for.

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Hofstadter—who won a Pulitzer for his 1979 book, Gödel, Escher, Bach—blends a surprising array of disciplines and styles in his continuing rumination on the nature of consciousness. Eschewing the study of biological processes as inadequate to the task, he argues that the phenomenon of self-awareness is best explained by an abstract model based on symbols and self-referential "loops," which, as they accumulate experiences, create high-level consciousness. Theories aside, it's impossible not to experience this book as a tender, remarkably personal and poignant effort to understand the death of his wife from cancer in 1993—and to grasp how consciousness mediates our otherwise ineffable relationships. In the end, Hofstadter's view is deeply philosophical rather than scientific. It's hopeful and romantic as well, as his model allows one consciousness to create and maintain within itself true representations of the essence of another. The book is all Hofstadter—part theory, some of it difficult; part affecting memoir; part inventive thought experiment—presented for the most part with an incorrigible playfulness. And whatever readers' reaction to the underlying arguments for this unique view of consciousness, they will find the model provocative and heroically humane. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Bookmarks Magazine

Though elegantly written, it is not surprising that Douglas Hofstadter's I Am a Strange Loop suffers a bit by comparison to his acclaimed Gödel, Escher, Bach: they both cover the same ground, with the more recent book elaborating on the ideas of the first one. However, I Am a Strange Loop is a much more personal effort, an "intellectual autobiography" (Time) of the last 30 years of Hofstadter's life. Critics agreed that Hofstadter is riveting when sharing his grief over the unexpected death of his wife and his conviction that part of her continues to live on in him. Some readers may not agree with his beliefs, and he draws little on findings in neurological science, but they cannot deny that I Am a Strange Loop is a heartfelt exploration of the human mind.

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Product details

Hardcover: 436 pages
Publisher: Basic Books (March 26, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0465030785
ISBN-13: 978-0465030781
Product Dimensions: 7 x 1.2 x 10 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 183 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #112,012 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #263 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Philosophy > Consciousness & Thought
- #377 in Books > Medical Books > Psychology > Cognitive
- #600 in Books > Science & Math > History & Philosophy

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Michael George

an important perspective

March 5, 2018

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I had a somewhat difficult time assessing the quality of this work because, while the discussion concerns some very important topics, the book is relatively poorly written. The youthful exuberance and brilliance that made GEB a classic are gone, replaced by a more sober and meditative exposition: Quite often tedious and boring. But I think that what Prof. Hofstadter is discussing and his ideas are very important. Therefore I strongly recommend the book for helping to understand Godel’s work, and the author’s views in the science and philosophy of mind. He often elaborates points that are rather easy to grasp, and with respect to alternative perspectives or viewpoints, he often sets up “straw men” to compare with his ideas and oversimplifies. What we are given here is a very flawed piece of work, and no classic like GEB, but important to read because the author’s ideas are important, and from a more mature perspective than GEB.

Comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

P. M. Ressler

"I Am A Strange Loop" (Kindle Edition)

March 11, 2012

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

An apparently key part of this book is an insert or annex that provides a number of color photographs illustrating the feedback (loop) concept Hofstadter is discussing. These pictures are not included in the Kindle Edition, thus leaving out important context and description. If Amazon is selling an abbreviated/abridged book, that fact should be stated up front, so we know what we are buying. Any book containing graphics, photos, equations, etc., should be checked closely before buying the Kindle edition. Had I known this was an abbreviated edition, I would not have purchased the Kindle edition. The book is too complex to be abbreviated.

Comment 46 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

PsychGradStudent

Fascinating book, and much shorter than Godel, Escher ...

January 8, 2018

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Fascinating book, and much shorter than Godel, Escher, Bach, for those of us who want to understand the ideas without reading a 700 page tome.

Comment 4 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

Amjad Masad

Possibly my favorite book ever

July 7, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Couldn't put it down. Great style. Explains the hardest thing to explain in the world by using intuition pumps, personal stories, mathematics, and analogies. Builds up a repertoire of entities that stay with you the whole book getting enriched every time they're called back to illustrate a point.

Hofstadter must really hate mosquitos.

Comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

Amazon Customer

which I soaked up with great interest many years ago

May 1, 2016

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Hofstadter elaborates on the metaphysical revelations of Godel, Escher, Bach, which I soaked up with great interest many years ago. This is more than a follow-up. It explores concepts lucidly and accessibly, combining humor and personal, autobiographical elements from the perspective of an older and wiser professor.

Comment 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

PKD

I love this book

January 25, 2017

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Amazing read. I usually find a couple of threads to continue researching when I read a book. This one had dozens.

Comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

F. B. Steele

Even when alone you're not alone

April 3, 2018

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This is rather long for a one-trick pony ride and, after about the middle, devolves into what looks to this old psychoanalyst like pathological grief. The latter is well-positioned around the blurry edges of individuality and conveys the argument gamely enough (we're not islands; new info?) while betraying the author's presumed deeper stirrings.

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Timothy Knox

Not as good as his other books

April 21, 2014

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I loved Goedel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid. I grooved to Metamagical Themas. I had my mind blown a second time by Fluid Concepts and Creative Analogies. All of those books had a deep influence on how I lived my life. This book merely evoked an, "Okay, that's one way to think about it." I want the time I invested in this book back. Sorry, Douglas, but this book just didn't open my mind or change my life like your other books did.

Comment 4 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

Yes