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Surfaces and Essences: Analogy as the Fuel and Fire of Thinking

by Douglas R. Hofstadter, Emmanuel Sander
Compare to estimated retail price: RM155.00 MYR  

The item you've got your eye on is secondhand. You probably already know that, but just in case!

The estimated retail price shown next to any listed item represents the first-hand prices we've seen elsewhere, or the estimated original retail price of a comparable item of the same quality, construction and material offered elsewhere in new condition.

Surfaces and Essences: Analogy as the Fuel and Fire of Thinking
Surfaces and Essences: Analogy as the Fuel and Fire of Thinking

Analogies: Core mechanics of human thought unraveled.

If you've ever wondered how our minds turn the chaos of the world into understandable narratives, "Surfaces and Essences" might just satisfy your intellectual curiosity. Hofstadter and Sander have crafted an elaborate exploration of how analogies shape our thinking. It's an intricate dance of ideas that could forever change how you perceive your thought process, especially if you enjoy delving deep into the cognitive science behind everyday understanding.

  • PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award Nominee (2014)
Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

Surfaces and Essences: Analogy as the Fuel and Fire of Thinking

by Douglas R. Hofstadter, Emmanuel Sander
Compare to estimated retail price: RM155.00 MYR  

The item you've got your eye on is secondhand. You probably already know that, but just in case!

The estimated retail price shown next to any listed item represents the first-hand prices we've seen elsewhere, or the estimated original retail price of a comparable item of the same quality, construction and material offered elsewhere in new condition.

ISBN: 9780465018475
Authors: Douglas R. Hofstadter, Emmanuel Sander
Publisher: Basic Books
Date of Publication: 2013-04-23
Format: Hardcover
Related Collections: Philosophy, Personal Development, Science
Related Topics: Psychology, Mathematics, Neuroscience, Personal Development, Popular Science
Goodreads rating: 3.82
(rated by 970 readers)

Description

Analogy is the core of all thinking. This is the simple but unorthodox premise that Pulitzer Prize–winning author Douglas Hofstadter and French psychologist Emmanuel Sander defend in their new work. Hofstadter has been grappling with the mysteries of human thought for over thirty years. Now, with his trademark wit and special talent for making complex ideas vivid, he has partnered with Sander to put forth a highly novel perspective on cognition. We are constantly faced with a swirling and intermingling multitude of ill-defined situations. Our brain’s job is to try to make sense of this unpredictable, swarming chaos of stimuli. How does it do so? The ceaseless hail of input triggers analogies galore, helping us to pinpoint the essence of what is going on. Often this means the spontaneous evocation of words, sometimes idioms, sometimes the triggering of nameless, long-buried memories. Why did two-year-old Camille proudly exclaim, “I undressed the banana!”? Why do people who hear a story often blurt out, “Exactly the same thing happened to me!” when it was a completely different event? How do we recognize an aggressive driver from a split-second glance in our rearview mirror? What in a friend’s remark triggers the offhand reply, “That’s just sour grapes”? What did Albert Einstein see that made him suspect that light consists
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Surfaces and Essences: Analogy as the Fuel and Fire of Thinking
Surfaces and Essences: Analogy as the Fuel and Fire of Thinking
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Analogies: Core mechanics of human thought unraveled.

If you've ever wondered how our minds turn the chaos of the world into understandable narratives, "Surfaces and Essences" might just satisfy your intellectual curiosity. Hofstadter and Sander have crafted an elaborate exploration of how analogies shape our thinking. It's an intricate dance of ideas that could forever change how you perceive your thought process, especially if you enjoy delving deep into the cognitive science behind everyday understanding.

  • PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award Nominee (2014)
Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.