Douglas R. Hofstadter

An original, endlessly thought-provoking, and controversial look at the nature of consciousness and identity argues that the key to understanding selves and consciousness is the "strange loop," a special kind of abstract feedback loop inhabiting our brains.

I Am a Strange Loop

Like his other books this is a vast, sprawling exploration of philosophy, psychology, the natural sciences, art, and so much more. All his books have had a profound and lasting effect on me. I've read them all at least twice in their entirity and frequenly pick them to reread certain passages.

Cal Desmond‐Pearson

Can thought arise out of matter? Can self, soul, consciousness, “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. The most central and complex symbol in your brain is the one called “I.” The “I” is the nexus in our brain, one of many symbols seeming to have free will and to have gained the paradoxical ability to push particles around, rather than the reverse. How can 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 laws of physics? These are the mysteries tackled in I Am a Strange Loop, Douglas Hofstadter's first book-length journey into philosophy since Gödel, Escher, Bach. Compulsively readable and endlessly thought-provoking, this is a moving and profound inquiry into the nature of mind.

Hans Gerwitz

This was a fun read, as Hofstadter ties in personal experiences and generally rambles on sharing his understanding of self. The rambling can get on your nerves, but this is a more casual read than, say, a Daniel Dennett piece.

Bram Bogaerts

anjali

Shreya Rai 

Claire Matthews 

David McDonagh

Laura

Benjamin Snipes

Daniel Lauzon

Danté

Mundy Otto Reimer

Jon Noronha

Dave Walker

Dan Govier

One of our greatest philosophers and scientists of the mind asks, where does the self come from--and how our selves can exist in the minds of others. Can thought arise out of matter? Can self, soul, consciousness, "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. The most central and complex symbol in your brain is the one called "I." The "I" is the nexus in our brain, one of many symbols seeming to have free will and to have gained the paradoxical ability to push particles around, rather than the reverse. How can 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 laws of physics? These are the mysteries tackled in I Am a Strange Loop, Douglas Hofstadter's first book-length journey into philosophy since Gödel, Escher, Bach. Compulsively readable and endlessly thought-provoking, this is a moving and profound inquiry into the nature of mind.

I Am a Strange Loop

Reviews