Labyrinths of Reason: Paradox, Puzzles, and the Frailty of Knowledge

Poundstone, William

ISBN 10: 0385242611 / ISBN 13: 9780385242615

Published by Anchor Press / Doubleday, 1988

About this Item

Item in very good condition! Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00084624354

Bibliographic Details

Title: Labyrinths of Reason: Paradox, Puzzles, and ...

Publisher: Anchor Press / Doubleday

Publication Date: 1988

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Very Good

About this title

Synopsis:

Explores the timeless question of how we know what we know by rethinking the paradoxes guiding our understanding in areas such as matter and antimatter, black holes and time travel

Review:

We conceive of and describe the world in ways that usually work just fine, but in the far corners of the labyrinth of reason, our best intentions fold back on themselves, and we end up trapped in an intractable loop or tumbling down a chute of infinite regress. Labyrinths of Reason is a collection of classic philosophical thought experiments and other imponderables that push reason and language to their logical limits. Beyond just idle brainteasers, William Poundstone shows that these mental exercises have profound implications for such fields as cryptography, decision theory, subatomic physics, and computer programming. But most of all, they're good, clean philosophical fun!