Douglas Hofstadter (1979) saw and articulated the need for a new science of complex tangled hierarchical systems. After 20 years, this is still the best general description of how mind can arise from mere matter. This is my favorite book, and it should be required reading for all mind/brain philosophers. I'm still waiting for a HyperText edition, even if Hofstadter does not want to turn his book into a "circus"! Here is a start. For more laughs try this.

GEB contains what is still the definitive treatment of the implications of Turing machines for artificial intelligence research and cognitive neuroscience. People like Roger Penrose have a different view of things that is based on their fear of determinism and their dream that quantum uncertainty can salvage our Free Will.

An introductory GEB page.

Review by TAL COHEN.

A GEB links page.

Look at the table of contents for GEB.

Go to John's Book Page.

Go to John's Home Page.