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This Book Needs No Title: A Budget of Living Paradoxes
From Simon & Schuster, This Book Needs No Title is Raymond Smullyan's budget of living paradoxes—the author of What is the Name of This Book?
Including eighty paradoxes, logical labyrinths, and intriguing enigmas progress from light fables and fancies to challenging Zen exercises and a novella and probe the timeless questions of philosophy and life.
Including eighty paradoxes, logical labyrinths, and intriguing enigmas progress from light fables and fancies to challenging Zen exercises and a novella and probe the timeless questions of philosophy and life.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
11 people are currently reading
640 people want to read
About the author
Raymond M. Smullyan
77 books281 followersRaymond M. Smullyan was a logician, musician, Zen master, puzzle master, and writer.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
April 10, 2010
This book is worth getting just for the essay "Planet Without Laughter" - the best, most even-handed, and funniest account of mysticism that I have ever come across. Smullyan invites you to imagine a world where most people have never had the experience of finding something funny. They've all heard about it as a theoretical concept, and they know that "finding something funny" is often followed by "laughter". And then there's the mysterious concept of "humor".
What do all these things mean? Opinions are divided. A few lucky individuals do have a sense of humor. They laugh spontaneously, usually for no apparent reason. Most people, however, just go to a place every Sunday where a "comedian" stands up and tells "jokes". Everyone knows when to laugh, and tries to do so to the best of their ability. But it's an unsatisfying experience, and to be honest feels rather meaningless.
Some people think that they can acquire a "sense of humor" by dint of hard practice. They keep reading collections of jokes, hoping that one day they will "get them", and they listen to recordings of people laughing who have a real sense of humor. They hope that if they can just learn to laugh in the right way, they'll have a sense of humor too. Unfortunately, this doesn't tend to work very well.
Other people are skeptical about the whole concept. They cross-examine the rare individuals who claim to have a sense of humor. What does humor look like? they ask. Well, it doesn't look like anything. What color is it? It doesn't have a color. They ask more questions like these. If it has no obvious properties, then how could you recognize it? Oh, say the humorists, trust us. If you ever find something funny yourself, you'll just know! And don't keep focusing on such advanced kinds of humor - "black humor" and "gallows humor" and whatnot. You're much more likely to get a laugh out of seeing someone slip on a banana peel and fall flat on his ass. The official comedians don't always like these pronouncements.
If you can't be bothered to buy it, I see "Planet" is available online here. Check it out! I don't guarantee a mystical experience, but it may well make you laugh a couple of times...
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I do wonder whether Terry Pratchett and/or Neil Gaiman had read "Planet Without Laughter" when they wrote Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch . In particular, check out "Epilogue in Heaven" from the Smullyan.
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Another possible connection, which I'm astonished not to have thought of years ago. Smullyan is Marvin Minsky's cousin, and they're known to be close. Minsky was good friends with Robert Heinlein, and it's widely believed that he contributed many ideas to Heinlein's books.
Well... Mike, the computer in The Moon is a Harsh Mistress , is terribly interested in the nature of humour. In fact, humour research is what he really wants to do - he just helps run the Lunar Revolution as a favour to his human friends, so they'll discuss jokes with him in return.
I can't help wondering if this idea started with Smullyan, and then ended up in Heinlein's book after having gone through Minsky...
What do all these things mean? Opinions are divided. A few lucky individuals do have a sense of humor. They laugh spontaneously, usually for no apparent reason. Most people, however, just go to a place every Sunday where a "comedian" stands up and tells "jokes". Everyone knows when to laugh, and tries to do so to the best of their ability. But it's an unsatisfying experience, and to be honest feels rather meaningless.
Some people think that they can acquire a "sense of humor" by dint of hard practice. They keep reading collections of jokes, hoping that one day they will "get them", and they listen to recordings of people laughing who have a real sense of humor. They hope that if they can just learn to laugh in the right way, they'll have a sense of humor too. Unfortunately, this doesn't tend to work very well.
Other people are skeptical about the whole concept. They cross-examine the rare individuals who claim to have a sense of humor. What does humor look like? they ask. Well, it doesn't look like anything. What color is it? It doesn't have a color. They ask more questions like these. If it has no obvious properties, then how could you recognize it? Oh, say the humorists, trust us. If you ever find something funny yourself, you'll just know! And don't keep focusing on such advanced kinds of humor - "black humor" and "gallows humor" and whatnot. You're much more likely to get a laugh out of seeing someone slip on a banana peel and fall flat on his ass. The official comedians don't always like these pronouncements.
If you can't be bothered to buy it, I see "Planet" is available online here. Check it out! I don't guarantee a mystical experience, but it may well make you laugh a couple of times...
_____________________________________
I do wonder whether Terry Pratchett and/or Neil Gaiman had read "Planet Without Laughter" when they wrote Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch . In particular, check out "Epilogue in Heaven" from the Smullyan.
_____________________________________
Another possible connection, which I'm astonished not to have thought of years ago. Smullyan is Marvin Minsky's cousin, and they're known to be close. Minsky was good friends with Robert Heinlein, and it's widely believed that he contributed many ideas to Heinlein's books.
Well... Mike, the computer in The Moon is a Harsh Mistress , is terribly interested in the nature of humour. In fact, humour research is what he really wants to do - he just helps run the Lunar Revolution as a favour to his human friends, so they'll discuss jokes with him in return.
I can't help wondering if this idea started with Smullyan, and then ended up in Heinlein's book after having gone through Minsky...
September 8, 2020
The moment I hear the words mathematician and logician my brain instantly assumes a biased stance against them, stemming from my deep abhorrence for pathological rationality; against people who worship like dogs at the shrine of ‘truth’, who will do away with every shred of empathy and in turn humanity, in the name of 'analysis’; and the logical positivists who think that the inherent effectiveness of any statement necessarily comes from it being either true or false, even if something is 'logically' meaningless, whereas i believe it can still be extremely beneficial to humanity. And not to mention my special disgust towards self proclaimed linguistic logicians simping at the feet of Wittgenstein, being extremely one-dimensional and unkind toward the wholeness of their own persona.
All these things were buzzing in my head when I picked up this book, expecting Smullyan to be another of these robots.
I accidentally discovered Raymond Smullyan through one of the recommended books for my Philosophy of Mind class. One of Smullyan's ultra short-story was featured in the said book, and that led me to eventually discover this book. An acclaimed mathematician, logician, philosopher AND a magician, and boy am I glad I stumbled upon him!
I have never been so glad to be proven so blatantly wrong.
The book initially seemed like a random collection of short essays on topics ranging from morality, ethics, general philosophical problems, logic, and science, seamed together. But as I waded my way through, I realised a common theme running throughout: the classic dualism between intuition Vs reason; science Vs spirituality. Smullyan never categorically claims to know or believe in anything, but ever so subtly nudges the reader to attempt to reconcile the dualism inside their own psyche, on their own. He never attempts to influence the reader; this job of course is done hilariously and beautifully. There are so many passages that I wrote down in my diary, nuggets I memorized by heart.
SPECIAL MENTION TO THE LAST SECTION CALLED PLANET WITHOUT LAUGHTER.
My review doesn't do the book any justice; I have no possible words to explain how much I've come to adore Raymond Smullyan. Anybody rigorously trained in mathematics and logic who can still strike a perfect balance with their intuitive side has my respect and admiration, as does Smullyan. The way he refutes mysticism logically and at the same time conversely demonstrates how scientific logic is absolutely pointless in things mystical, is hilarious and enlightening.
This one will remain close to my heart forever, and shall definitely be revisited every now and then.
All these things were buzzing in my head when I picked up this book, expecting Smullyan to be another of these robots.
I accidentally discovered Raymond Smullyan through one of the recommended books for my Philosophy of Mind class. One of Smullyan's ultra short-story was featured in the said book, and that led me to eventually discover this book. An acclaimed mathematician, logician, philosopher AND a magician, and boy am I glad I stumbled upon him!
I have never been so glad to be proven so blatantly wrong.
The book initially seemed like a random collection of short essays on topics ranging from morality, ethics, general philosophical problems, logic, and science, seamed together. But as I waded my way through, I realised a common theme running throughout: the classic dualism between intuition Vs reason; science Vs spirituality. Smullyan never categorically claims to know or believe in anything, but ever so subtly nudges the reader to attempt to reconcile the dualism inside their own psyche, on their own. He never attempts to influence the reader; this job of course is done hilariously and beautifully. There are so many passages that I wrote down in my diary, nuggets I memorized by heart.
SPECIAL MENTION TO THE LAST SECTION CALLED PLANET WITHOUT LAUGHTER.
My review doesn't do the book any justice; I have no possible words to explain how much I've come to adore Raymond Smullyan. Anybody rigorously trained in mathematics and logic who can still strike a perfect balance with their intuitive side has my respect and admiration, as does Smullyan. The way he refutes mysticism logically and at the same time conversely demonstrates how scientific logic is absolutely pointless in things mystical, is hilarious and enlightening.
This one will remain close to my heart forever, and shall definitely be revisited every now and then.
October 15, 2020
This book is worth reading a thousand times if only for the fact that it demonstrates, by example of its author, that a person can be mathematically trained and at the same time free of pathological rationalism. Smullyan, a logician by trade, has an open mind towards just about anything (the only exception I can recall being having a closed mind!) throughout the book and this makes for a most interesting and thought provoking read.
The book's humor is another superb feature. What I found particularly fascinating was how the book managed to present topics of such depth in a humorous tone that far from diminishing, rather enhanced the discussion.
This is definitely one of those books I will read at least once more.
It was even more delightful on the second read, and I will no doubt return to it again numerous times.
The book's humor is another superb feature. What I found particularly fascinating was how the book managed to present topics of such depth in a humorous tone that far from diminishing, rather enhanced the discussion.
This is definitely one of those books I will read at least once more.
It was even more delightful on the second read, and I will no doubt return to it again numerous times.
September 10, 2021
In a series of what today would be blog post or Twitter threads, Smullyan thinks about Zen, free will, whether it ever makes sense to have false beliefs, mysticism, whether drugs can give insight, naturalism vs dualism, humor as an analogy for enlightenment, etc... The book was published in 1980 and it feels caught up in the questions that Marvin Minsky (his cousin), Douglas Hofstadter, Martin Gardner, Daniel Dennett and so on were asking at the time. He seems like an enjoyable guy to go to a dinner party with, though he would probably talk more than his share. It's all thought provoking, but he teases too much-- dangling problems without really offering any solutions. As a kitten I would have pounced, but now I lie on the couch and merely twitch my eyes to follow skeptically.
January 7, 2011
Raymond Smullyan is my Logician Dumbledore. I own and read every book of his I can get my hands on. Which is well over a dozen.
February 21, 2020
The rating is a bit low, because I'm a mathematician, and I prefer his Logic books and retro chess problem books over his Philosophy books, and this is a philosophy book. (If you ever meet Raymond Smullyan, and he brings up the topic of "coercive logic", run away screaming. It's the only sane thing to do; otherwise you might find that you've just agreed to pay him a million dollars.)
It starts out fairly well, with paradoxes but then the pieces get longer and more meta-philosophical.
But I recommend it for people who like this sort of thing.
It starts out fairly well, with paradoxes but then the pieces get longer and more meta-philosophical.
But I recommend it for people who like this sort of thing.
April 19, 2019
It's always nice to realize that you do indeed have opinions you didn't know about until you read something so jarring it helps you form them on the spot. This happens quite frequently to me in this philosophical and moralistically intriguing series of essays, jokes and paradoxes, though Smullyman may infer me an Egoist for focusing on what "I" "I" "I" got out of this book versus the incredible effort and thought "he" "he" "he" put into it!
June 11, 2018
"Are you happy at this very moment?"
"In a way, yes; in a way, no."
"Can you be more explicit?"
"I have just heard the first really convincing argument for the immortality of the soul. Now I know for sure I will survive my bodily death. This makes me very happy. On the other hand, my steak is overdone."
"In a way, yes; in a way, no."
"Can you be more explicit?"
"I have just heard the first really convincing argument for the immortality of the soul. Now I know for sure I will survive my bodily death. This makes me very happy. On the other hand, my steak is overdone."
May 4, 2020
Fantastic ! Cheerio Raymond, thank you for this gem <3
April 17, 2019
After reading this back in December of 2016 I've come to realize of much of an idiot I was back then for think this was a 3 star book!
Raymond Smullyan, as most of you know is a first class logician/mathematician but also has a knack in analytic philosophy and Eastern philosophy (!!!).
The short stories in this book (in my opinion) are great little passages to help explore various philosophical and logical puzzles in a fun way that make the standard philosophy books on these subjects a rather bore.
My particular favorite is the "An Unfortunate Dualist" which tells the tale of a miserable dualist that wants to cease to exist but thinks that suicide is merely out of the question, so he decides to annihilate his soul! I would give a full summary but I will say at the end of this concise story it really does bring in the question, "why do people still believe in dualism (substance/property) still?".
A fun read to break up the other dense books I've reading through right now.
Raymond Smullyan, as most of you know is a first class logician/mathematician but also has a knack in analytic philosophy and Eastern philosophy (!!!).
The short stories in this book (in my opinion) are great little passages to help explore various philosophical and logical puzzles in a fun way that make the standard philosophy books on these subjects a rather bore.
My particular favorite is the "An Unfortunate Dualist" which tells the tale of a miserable dualist that wants to cease to exist but thinks that suicide is merely out of the question, so he decides to annihilate his soul! I would give a full summary but I will say at the end of this concise story it really does bring in the question, "why do people still believe in dualism (substance/property) still?".
A fun read to break up the other dense books I've reading through right now.
June 25, 2015
It's not my favourite Smullyan's philosophical book, but it's very good. There are many interesting ideas and it's enjoyable to read it. It's poor that thoughts are not in a clear framework so sometimes it looks like a bunch of essay ramdomly mixed together.
July 10, 2022
Acquired Aug 9, 1999
Brown Bag Bookshop, Rochester NY
Brown Bag Bookshop, Rochester NY
September 19, 2009
Whimsical, incisive. Bring it with you on the bus, read one a day, get smarter.
September 7, 2013
This book is SO much fun! Portia's caskets being my favorite part so far.
June 3, 2014
the intresting book i ever read...
December 11, 2016
Nice book, even though I cannot QUITE explain why, but hey, maybe it's just Smullyan !
September 6, 2018
Extremely witty, insanely amusing and surprisingly enlightening! A huge huge huge recommendation!
I'll have to read more stuff by Smullyan, the man was a complete rascal!!
I'll have to read more stuff by Smullyan, the man was a complete rascal!!
April 21, 2019
An absolute pleasure to read.
Worth reading for the story "A World Without Laughter".
Clear and nuanced thinking.
" Problems arise when you label something a 'Problem' ".
Worth reading for the story "A World Without Laughter".
Clear and nuanced thinking.
" Problems arise when you label something a 'Problem' ".
August 8, 2021
Sunday (re-re-re..*)read of my favourite chapter/essay https://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~...
August 8, 2012
Good followon of "What is the name of this book?
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews