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

Book · April 2013

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 ( continued from front flap ) philosophy / science
$ 35.00 u s / $ 38.00 C A n
bit by bit the constantly churning cognitive mechanisms normally Advance praise for
surfaces and e s sences
surfaces and e s sences
completely hidden from view, and by discovering in them one
central, invariant core—the incessant, unconscious quest for
hofst dter
“Surfaces and Essences is a mind-boggling argument for the central role that analogies play in human thought. Hofstadter and
Analogy is the core of all thinking.
strong analogical links to past experiences—this book puts forth & s nder

T
Sander’s witty and profound masterpiece will leave you thinking about thinking in totally new ways.”
a radical and deeply surprising new vision of the act of thinking.
 —E li z abeth F . L oftus , Distinguished Professor, University of California, and author of Eyewitness Testimony
Analogy as the Fuel and Fire of Thinking his is the simple but unorthodox premise that Pulitzer
Prize–winning author Douglas Hofstadter and French
“I am one of those cognitive scientists who believe that analogy is a key to explaining human intelligence. This magnum opus psychologist Emmanuel Sander defend in their new
by Douglas Hofstadter, who has reflected on the nature of analogy for decades, and Emmanuel Sander, is a milestone in our work. Hofstadter has been grappling with the mysteries of human
understanding of human thought, filled with insights and new ideas.” —S te v en P in k er , surfaces thought for over thirty years. Now, with his trademark wit and
 Harvard College Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and author of How the Mind Works and The Stuff of Thought special talent for making complex ideas vivid, he has partnered
and with Sander to put forth a highly novel perspective on cognition.
“Surfaces and Essences has much of both. And more. This book is fun! And serious. Category, analogy (and similarity) are at the We are constantly faced with a swirling and intermingling
core of cognition. On every page, you will find delights: you will be informed, you will be puzzled; you will agree vehemently essences multitude of ill-defined situations. Our brain’s job is to try to
and you will disagree just as vehemently; you will ponder. And you will return for more.” —B arbara T v ers k y , make sense of this unpredictable, swarming chaos of stimuli. How
 Professor Emerita of Psychology, Stanford University, and Professor of Psychology and Education, does it do so? The ceaseless hail of input triggers analogies galore,
 Columbia Teachers College
© Claude Reyraud

helping us to pinpoint the essence of what is going on. Often this

Analogy means the spontaneous evocation of words, sometimes idioms,
“Hofstadter and Sander’s book starts with two audacious goals: to show that none of us can think a minute without using a
sometimes the triggering of nameless, long-buried memories.
variety of analogies, and that becoming aware of this fact can help us think more clearly. Then, patiently and with humor, as the Fuel
Why did two-year-old Camille proudly exclaim, “I undressed
the authors prove their claims across the whole spectrum, from everyday conversation to scientific thought processes, even
and Fire of the banana!”? Why do people who hear a story often blurt out,
dougl s hofst dter that of Einstein.” —G erald H olton , Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics Emeritus, Harvard University 7.5 x 9.5”
Thinking “Exactly the same thing happened to me!” when it was a completely S: 1-7/8
is Distinguished College of Arts and Sciences Professor of Cognitive B: 1-11/16
“Immensely enjoyable, with a plethora of fascinating examples and anecdotes, this book will make you understand your own different event? How do we recognize an aggressive driver from
Science and Comparative Literature at Indiana University. His
thought processes in a wholly new way. It’s analogy all the way down!” —M elanie M itchell , a split-second glance in our rearview mirror? What in a friend’s BASIC
previous books include Gödel, Escher, Bach (which won the Pulitzer HC
 Professor of Computer Science, Portland State University, and author of Complexity remark triggers the offhand reply, “That’s just sour grapes”? What
Prize for General Nonfiction in 1980) and Fluid Concepts and
did Albert Einstein see that made him suspect that light consists
Creative Analogies. 4/COLOR + spot
“Hofstadter and Sander provide a persuasive answer to the question ‘what is thought?’ They mount a compelling case through of particles when a century of research had driven the final nail
gloss on blue A
analysis of a wealth of insightful exemplars, from everyday thinking to the highest achievements of the human mind.” in the coffin of that long-dead idea? on front cover
e m m nu e l s nde r is Professor of  —N anc y J . N ersessian , Professor of Cognitive Science, Georgia Institute of Technology The answer to all these questions, of course, is analogy-making— only

Cognitive and Developmental Psychology at the University of Paris the meat and potatoes, the heart and soul, the fuel and fire, the
“Doug Hofstadter and Emmanuel Sander rip apart everyday understanding to reveal insights of both mind and universe. The gist and the crux, the lifeblood and the wellsprings of thought. FINISH:Gritty
(Saint-Denis), specializing in the study of analogy-making and
key is to recognize that analogies and concepts are the same things, that they are ubiquitous, universal, and key to understanding
categorization and their connections to education. Among his Analogy-making, far from happening at rare intervals, occurs at
human thought. Easy to read, but deep to comprehend. The result is both enjoyable and profound.”
previous works is the book Analogy, from the Naïve to the Creative. all moments, defining thinking from top to toe, from the tiniest
 —D on N orman , author of Living with Complexity and The Design of Everyday Things

$35.00 US / $38.00 CAN

dougl s hofst dter 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. By

& e m m nuel s nder

ISBN 978-0-465-01847-5
Jacket design by Andrea Cardenas 53500 plunging the reader into an extraordinary variety of colorful
A Member of the Perseus Books Group situations involving language, thought, and memory, by revealing
www.basicbooks.com
( continued on back flap )
9 780465 018475

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