[tedheath123]

Maybe the book went over my head but it didn't live up to my expectations. The book's thesis seemed to boil down to "isn't recursion cool, maybe it has something to do with consciousness". I did enjoy some of the digressions though.

[trgn]

I thought it was going to be first something like "isn't recursion cool" (like, look at these fractals in sea shells!!!!), until GEB actually tried to explain, in detail, how Godel's proof works. tbh, that's kind of what makes the book cool, it just assumes anybody with a passing interest in compsci would also love to dive deep into fundamental theorems of mathematics. Those sort of bold assumptions, and the author just doubling down on them (e.g. you're going love these dialogues!). Crazy that it won a Pulitzer too, a real bestseller.

[jameshart]

The GEB concept of 'self reference' is not the same as 'recursion'.

[bazoom42]

Consider it the Lisp equivalent to _whys poignant guide to Ruby.

[kibibu]

That is about the strongest anti-recommendation you could have possibly made for me.