Surfaces and Essences

Analogy as the Fuel and Fire of Thinking

By: Douglas Hofstadter, Emmanuel Sander

Narrated by: Sean Pratt

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 30 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? What did Albert Einstein see that made him suspect that light consists of particles when a century of research had driven the final nail in the coffin of that long-dead idea?

The answer to all these questions, of course, is analogy - making - the meat and potatoes, the heart and soul, the fuel and fire, the gist and the crux, the lifeblood and the wellsprings of thought.

Analogy-making, far from happening at rare intervals, occurs at all moments, defining thinking from top to toe, from the tiniest and most fleeting thoughts to the most creative scientific insights. Like Gödel, Escher, Bach before it, Surfaces and Essences will profoundly enrich our understanding of our own minds.

©2013 Basic Books (P)2013 Gildan Media LLC

Critic reviews

"I am one of those cognitive scientists who believe that analogy is a key to explaining human intelligence. This magnum opus by Douglas Hofstadter, who has reflected on the nature of analogy for decades, and Emmanuel Sander, is a milestone in our understanding of human thought, filled with insights and new ideas." Steven Pinker (Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of How the Mind Works and The Stuff of Thought)

'Mother occupies the chair.' So what?

Would you try another book from Douglas Hofstadter and Emmanuel Sander and/or Sean Pratt?

Perhaps, and by that I mean to say "no," which, as an utterance, occupies a rarefied category of one, with, of course, spelling being the only consideration. As a category of one, it is like the opposite of the Higgs-Boson particle in that, when present, nothing matters (which, as a word, "matters," has multiple meanings, including "relevancy, materials, events, Icelandic for "mother" and so on and so on.). Truthfully, I'll probably try "Strange Loop." I've given it as a gift enough times, it's high-time I got up on it myself.

What could Douglas Hofstadter and Emmanuel Sander have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

92% fewer examples.

Which scene was your favorite?

A quote which, used only as one example in a long line of examples, reads "Censorship is the mother of metaphor." Loved that! Worth the $22 (monthly plan at two credits).

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Perhaps, and by that I mean to say "no," which, as an utterance, occupies a rarefied category of one, with, of course, spelling being the only consideration. As a category of one, it is like the opposite of the Higgs-Boson particle in that, when present, nothing matters (which, as a word, "matters," has multiple meanings, including "relevancy, materials, events, Icelandic for "mother" and so on and so on.).

Any additional comments?

The book was exceptionally well-narrated.

Doug, Doug, Doug

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Let's just say that Hofstadter is a fascinating combination of brilliant and boring. If you like the way he thinks, then it's a good book to have around to listen to here and there. He always has something interesting to say, often, though, the executive summary might be sufficient.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Oh good, time to move on to Dennett...

Any additional comments?

I am giving Hofstadter a hard time, but I love his mind, he's just, well, you know, tedious...

Intellectual Slow Burn - Too Slow for Some

The implications of the authors’ work don’t seem too obvious after finishing, but throughout it was easy to see how their findings would influence topics like AI and cognition.

The biggest gripe you’ll hear involves the browbeating the listener with examples. There are definitely some moments where they went overboard, but I found most lists of examples mildly entertaining at worst. As someone who now identifies as someone who struggles with analogy-making, it was educational to hear tidbits I could use in daily life.

In typical Hofstadter style, he takes his time to make his arguments so as to leave no stone unturned. This can seem like overkill for the casual reader, but I find it refreshing that the authors are able to proactively address potential pushback.

Fans of Hofstadter will catch glimpses of meta-commentary hidden between the lines, but they aren’t nearly as profound or noticeable as they are in GEB.

Overall, if you like most other works by Hofstadter, this is definitely worth listening to in its entirety, even if you have to slog through a few dry patches.

Long, but good

Brilliant, but suffers from long-windedness. Sticking it through is worth it though. Hofstadter is a seminal thinker, and his work is important.

Tedious but invaluable.

Hidden beneath this muddied mound of semantics is a rare gem waiting to be unearthed. If you know why you might benefit from reading this, you probably will.

Hofstadter is a Genius

There were too many words, and the narrator got a little bit sing song after a while, but the author is a genius. I much enjoyed his first work, one of the few books I have ever taken the time to read twice, Gödel, Escher, and Bach, and was not disappointed with the caliber of this work. At times a little bit of a difficult read, or I had to reread something, but the entire work was worth the effort.

A dance on the street is worth 2 in the club.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I already have demanded several people get it.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Category, that guy was tricky always trying to act like he's not an analogy.

Which scene was your favorite?

The one where I had to stop listening and have an argument with an idea for ten minutes before I could continue.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book demands reaction, it makes you want to yell, "of course Doug, get on with it." Then you realize he's pretty accurate at predicting how you think even though he's never met you. You probably won't cry but I ended of laughing at myself a lot.
This is all about thinking and you want it to be wrong, you want to believe your thoughts are ordered and consistent. Instead you're left knowing that your thoughts are arranged as needed and in ways that contradict past and future arrangements.

Any additional comments?

If you've read his other works this one is simpler and more focused in its idea. Therefore it takes a lot more effort to understand it. The premise makes Jungian psychology seem more relevant, Mel brooks more genius, and Einstein more like an average guy.
If you think you know the definition of words like; much, and, but, grow, time or play, you should get this book.

Mind-exploding dance of ubiquitous wordplay

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. A patient friend, anyway. If only to help them understand what I get so excited about.

What other book might you compare Surfaces and Essences to and why?

Can't compare it to much, other than Hofstadter's other works. He (along with co-author Emmanuel Sander) goes deeply into heavy territory of linguistics, philosophy, cognitive science, and other fields without ever becoming too technical or academic. Constant throughlines of playfulness and personal details keep things from becoming too dry.

Have you listened to any of Sean Pratt’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I haven't, but I'd like to. He does an absolutely fantastic job making you feel like he's personally connected to the pages and pages of examples and organically meandering explanations that comprise this book. My one complaint is that his French pronunciation is pretty horrendous. For a book whose co-author is French, and thus makes use of fairly frequent forays into French phrasing (alliteration bonus +5), it would've been nice to have someone who can say the words. However, if you don't speak French or aren't a stickler for pronunciation, this isn't an issue, just like I didn't have any problem with his pronunciation of Mandarin words. Either way, it's worth this minor sacrifice for the excellent performance overall.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I would die. It's just under 34 bloody hours.

Any additional comments?

It's hard to express how much I enjoyed this book. While I'm sure it's not for everyone, it was one of the primary motivators that convinced me to go back to school to study cognitive science. Hofstadter has the most wonderful ability to tie together poetry, math, memory, languages, and visual design (among other areas of interest) into pure magic. To me, this itself serves as a metaphor for the amazing web of association and analogy that allows our brains to make meaning and creativity from our experience and culture. This book could be my bible. And while I don't want to see myself as too much of an evangelist, I'd humbly suggest you give it a try.

As a final note: some might prefer to have the hard-copy (a giant brick of a tome) in order to go back and review some of the lists and examples as you go. I bought the book after listening to the audio, and while I'm glad to own it, I think I prefer the audio experience overall. I did find myself pausing to think, or hitting the "30 seconds back" button fairly frequently, extending the 33-hour running time even further, but this is only necessary if you want to spend the time really thinking about the details.

Interesting, but could be a quarter the length.

What did you love best about Surfaces and Essences?

Absolutely love Hofstadter as I've encountered him both here and in GEB. This is a set of ideas that I've had in an informal way for a long time, and he lays them out in his typical methodical, logical style with many surprising conclusions I hadn't reached. The moments of insight are... spread out... but they unfold spectacularly.

What other book might you compare Surfaces and Essences to and why?

The only thing I can think of that is this casually philosophical is GEB, but that's a trivial example. The concepts resonate with some of Foucault's work on language, particularly The Order of Things, and some recent academic linguistics, but the book differs drastically in style.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Taking forEVER to read the ENDLESS lists of examples. I GET IT GOOD GOD

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Many, many.

Read it the old fashioned way.

Lots of loooong lists of examples that are really hard to listen to. This is an interesting and informative book, but probably better read than listened ti.