What are you reading right now?

innerspaceboy · 02-16-2017, 08:01 PM

Brian Eno's latest interview via Pitchfork. Worth the read.

Pet_Sounds · 02-17-2017, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pet_Sounds

On mechanics alone, Capote is probably my second-favourite writer, but I've yet to read his seminal work (mainly because it's always checked out of the library when I go). That's about to change.

Just finished. Possibly the most breath-taking book I've read.

Onto this...

innerspaceboy · 02-28-2017, 07:53 PM

Dug a dusty old (and yet-unread) copy of Gödel, Escher, Bach off my shelf this evening.

Read a few summaries and critiques of the text on Goodreads to see if I might fancy it. I was certainly intrigued by the overarching themes, philosophy of consciousness, speculation about general AI, and Hofstadter's usage of the arts to explain systems and concepts of mathematics.

But several users cautioned would-be readers that this is a book for a very specific audience - those who absolutely loves maths. And while I love math conceptually, I've no formal education in math or logic.

In an effort to prep myself for the text, I've been surveying the Undefined Behavior YouTube channel which outlines concepts like The Halting Problem, Entscheidungsproblem, Axiomatic Systems, Peano Systems, Principle of Explosion, and other fundamentals. It's all fascinating stuff, so I have hope that I'll be able to handle Hofstadter's book.

Any suggestions for related prep lit or other ideas from the community would be much appreciated!

rostasi · 02-28-2017, 08:10 PM

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Pet_Sounds · 02-28-2017, 08:19 PM

Having read Cat's Cradle and Slaughterhouse-Five, I've come to the conclusion that Kurt Vonnegut is not for me, but I can't quite figure out why. It's not the satirical storytelling style (I loved Joseph Heller's Catch-22); I just find his prose grating. Now reading Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky.

Quote:

Originally Posted by innerspaceboy

Any suggestions for related prep lit or other ideas from the community would be much appreciated!

So you're looking for a math book recommendation?

innerspaceboy · 02-28-2017, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rostasi

I have faith in you. You don't have to be a whiz at math -
just a curiosity in interrelationships that exists and an open mind
to thinking about these possibilities. I still have my copy from nearly 40 years ago and
when it was the first book I presented to my, now, wife, she was totally engrossed with its ideas.
Of course, she took to Ulysses as well later, but, again, I have faith in you enjoying the hell out of it.

Thanks very much! The last Pulitzer-winner I enjoyed was Charles Wuorinen's Time's Encomium (1970) - notably both the youngest composer and the first electronic musical work to win the prize. I'm hopeful that Hofstadter's work will be equally satisfying.

Thanks for your input!

rostasi · 02-28-2017, 08:35 PM

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bob. · 03-01-2017, 09:29 AM

i am honestly horrible when it comes to math and took so much Gödel, Escher, Bach....it's such an amazing book.....you're going to love it

i have just started my annual Robert Anton Wilson re-read with one of my favorite

Schrodinger's Cat Trilogy - Robert Anton Wilson

already enthralled.

Chula Vista · 03-01-2017, 01:15 PM

About done with volume one of Sandman. Just finshed the chapter about the 24 hours at the diner.

Tarentino and Rodriguez need to team up and make a movie based solely on it.

Chiomara · 03-01-2017, 01:19 PM

Oh good!! What did you think?

02-28-2017, 08:10 PM	#5764 (permalink)
rostasi . Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 4,007	. Last edited by rostasi; 03-10-2017 at 07:15 PM.

02-28-2017, 08:35 PM	#5767 (permalink)
rostasi . Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 4,007	. Last edited by rostasi; 03-10-2017 at 07:15 PM.

03-01-2017, 09:29 AM	#5768 (permalink)
bob. Still sends his reguards. Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Trying to get out of the cat town.... Posts: 5,039	i am honestly horrible when it comes to math and took so much Gödel, Escher, Bach....it's such an amazing book.....you're going to love it i have just started my annual Robert Anton Wilson re-read with one of my favorite Schrodinger's Cat Trilogy - Robert Anton Wilson already enthralled. __________________ A kiss is the beginning of cannibalism. Reach out, pierce the fine fabric of the sheltering sky, take repose.

03-01-2017, 01:15 PM	#5769 (permalink)
Chula Vista Toasted Poster Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: SoCal by way of Boston Posts: 11,332	About done with volume one of Sandman. Just finshed the chapter about the 24 hours at the diner. Tarentino and Rodriguez need to team up and make a movie based solely on it. __________________ “The fact that we live at the bottom of a deep gravity well, on the surface of a gas covered planet going around a nuclear fireball 90 million miles away and think this to be normal is obviously some indication of how skewed our perspective tends to be.”

03-01-2017, 01:19 PM	#5770 (permalink)
Chiomara mayor of spookytown Join Date: Jan 2017 Posts: 812	Oh good!! What did you think?