Jared's review
I Am a Strange Loop by Douglas R. Hofstadter
This is the first book I've read by Hofstadter, and I loved it. I've suffered something of an existential crisis over the past 5 years, and this book somehow helped me come to terms with my identity and the nature of life. It's beautiful to realize that each of us lives partly in others -- not only figuratively, but as literally as we live in ourselves.
I also liked how the author validates multiple perspectives of scale. If a philosopher asks whether a sand castle is a castle or a billion tiny specs of rock, the answer is just "yes". Both perspectives are valid. The real question is just: which one do you find most useful?
When he claims that the notion "I" is an illusion, Hofstadter isn't calling us dopes or suggesting that we stop using it. It's clearly a useful abstraction. He's just trying to help us stop wasting our time debating about the nature of our metaphysical essences.
Finally, I like that this book has left me with the desire to live large-sou
I also liked how the author validates multiple perspectives of scale. If a philosopher asks whether a sand castle is a castle or a billion tiny specs of rock, the answer is just "yes". Both perspectives are valid. The real question is just: which one do you find most useful?
When he claims that the notion "I" is an illusion, Hofstadter isn't calling us dopes or suggesting that we stop using it. It's clearly a useful abstraction. He's just trying to help us stop wasting our time debating about the nature of our metaphysical essences.
Finally, I like that this book has left me with the desire to live large-sou
