Rating: 
Summary: A fascinating tour of fundamental issues
Review: A fascinating tour of fundamental issues too often ignored or finessed. Philosopher scientists Hofstadtler and Dennett offer an anthology of probing essays along with their own running commentary on the the topics of identity, consciousness, and reductionism vs. holism. More compelling and less of a challenge to read than Hofstadtler's more famous book, Goëdel, Escher and Bach, it none the less guides the reader to reconsider many of his assumptions about what he is and where he fits in the world. The book unfortunately was written just as complexity theory was maturing and Maturana's autopoetic version of consciousness was appearing in English. [See Capra's Web of Life] Its confidence in the creation of programmed Artificial Intelligence might also not withstand the arguments presented by Winograd and Flores in Understanding Computers and Cognition. I would very much like to know what these authors think of those approaches to the problem, paradigms I find more plausible and useful than anything presented here. Still, I highly recommend the book to two classes of readers. First, those interested in a slightly incomplete survey of modern thinking about consciousness and, second, those fascinated by mental gymnastics, cerebral cleverness, and the ultimate puzzles of existence. Happily, I am firmly in both classes.
Rating: 
Summary: Far From His Best Work
Review: I am a big fan of the author, and "Godel, Escher, Bach" is an incredible work, that cannot be argued. This book, however, is a complete waste of time. It is basically a collection of supposed cute and clever essays, very few of which are really interesting. Many of them are simply outdated, others just plain stupid. The only people who would like this book are those who simply couldn't handle Hofstadter's more intellectual works. This book is full of pseudo-intellectual garbage and boring essays that, more often than not, fail to even touch on the actual scientific or intellectual ideas that they dance around. Skip it and buy "GEB".
Rating:
Summary: Far From His Best Work
Review: I am a big fan of the author, and "Godel, Escher, Bach" is an incredible work, that cannot be argued. This book, however, is a complete waste of time. It is basically a collection of supposed cute and clever essays, very few of which are really interesting. Many of them are simply outdated, others just plain stupid. The only people who would like this book are those who simply couldn't handle Hofstadter's more intellectual works. This book is full of pseudo-intellectual garbage and boring essays that, more often than not, fail to even touch on the actual scientific or intellectual ideas that they dance around. Skip it and buy "GEB".
Rating: 
Summary: A deeply entertaining and entertainingly deep book
Review: I have read this book so often that my original copy fell apart and I had to buy a new one. It explores the profound question 'What precisely is this thing I call my 'Self'?' with a selection of articles - some fiction, some fact - with comments from Hofstadter and Dennett afterwards. The most striking message seems to be that we don't yet even know the right questions to be asking in this area. We are in the alchemy stage of the science of self.
If you need any convincing to buy this book then let me list some of the contributors: Borges, Turing, Lem, Dawkins, Hofstadter, Dennett, Rucker, Lem, Searle, Smullyan and Nagel. What else is there to say except 'buy it and enjoy'?
Rating:
Summary: Great Read
Review: I loved this book...read it many times. It's a great introduction to the modern problems of philosophy of mind. It's so much fun to read but also, the ideas they introduce will stay with you for a long time.
Rating: 
Summary: limited subject matter
Review: I was spoiled by the author's other book, Godel Escher Bach.
It was very wide ranging and thought provoking. This book
deal a smaller subject area and is interesting for that one
area. It deals with the nature of thoughts, memories and consciousness in the physical world. If everything is structured of atoms and molecules where are thoughts located.
Could physical representations of thoughts and memories be created ? If you had a wiring schematic for a certain person's brain could you read their thoughts. Although the subject material is unique, I thought the book was a little long winded.
Once the idea or point is grasped there is only so much the can be conjectured about it.
Rating:
Summary: limited subject matter
Review: I was spoiled by the author's other book, Godel Escher Bach.
It was very wide ranging and thought provoking. This book
deal a smaller subject area and is interesting for that one
area. It deals with the nature of thoughts, memories and consciousness in the physical world. If everything is structured of atoms and molecules where are thoughts located.
Could physical representations of thoughts and memories be created ? If you had a wiring schematic for a certain person's brain could you read their thoughts. Although the subject material is unique, I thought the book was a little long winded.
Once the idea or point is grasped there is only so much the can be conjectured about it.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic collection
Review: If you've ever asked questions about mind, intelligence, identity, and the unity of the organism, you need to read this book. It's a collection of nice little stories and articles that are individually quite digestible. But each one is a great inspiration for questions and ideas and thoughts. And cumulatively, they present a synergistic panoply of alternative views and issues that synthesize into a truly enriching mind-altering experience. Perhaps the best testament to this book's appeal is that I keep having to buy new copies because each time I let someone borrow it I never get it back. Or perhaps it's that I keep buying new copies anyway!
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic collection
Review: If you've ever asked questions about mind, intelligence, identity, and the unity of the organism, you need to read this book. It's a collection of nice little stories and articles that are individually quite digestible. But each one is a great inspiration for questions and ideas and thoughts. And cumulatively, they present a synergistic panoply of alternative views and issues that synthesize into a truly enriching mind-altering experience. Perhaps the best testament to this book's appeal is that I keep having to buy new copies because each time I let someone borrow it I never get it back. Or perhaps it's that I keep buying new copies anyway!
Rating:
Summary: Really great stuff
Review: This book contains lots of wonderful thought provoking essays. It would be excellent for a discussion group, taking one essay at a time. Perfect for a long trip, this book will keep you thinking for the rest of your life.
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