Gödel, Escher, Bach vs Mathematical Essays and Recreations: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Mathematics, Philosophy
Gödel, Escher, Bach
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize A metaphorical fugue on minds and machines in the spirit of Lewis Carroll Douglas Hofstadter's book is concerned directly with the nature of "maps" or links between formal systems.…
vs
Mathematical Essays and Recreations
http://uf.catalog.fcla.edu/uf.jsp?st=UF021014217&ix=pm&I=0&V=D&pm=1
The verdict
- Mathematical Essays and Recreations is the quickest read — about 2 hours vs 14 for Gödel, Escher, Bach.
- Gödel, Escher, Bach reaches further in scholarship and criticism — cited 200 times.
How to choose
Want a one-evening read?
Mathematical Essays and Recreations
≈ 2h vs 14h for Gödel, Escher, Bach
New to the genre?
Gödel, Escher, Bach
Challenging vs Demanding for Mathematical Essays and Recreations
Want the literary heavyweight?
Gödel, Escher, Bach
cited 200 times vs 5 for Mathematical Essays and Recreations
Scores by source
| Gödel, Escher, Bach | Mathematical Essays and Recreations | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.3 (210) | — |
| Hardcover | 4.4 (218) | — |
| Google Books | 1.0 (1) | — |
| Apple Books | 2.5 (9) | — |
Reception
| Gödel, Escher, Bach | Mathematical Essays and Recreations | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 218 | — |
| Editions | 30 | 52 |
| Citations | 200 | 5 |
| Wikipedia attention | 19054 | — |
| Pages | 777 | 160 |