Surfaces and Essences

Surfaces and Essences (2011) argues that analogy is the engine of all thought, shaping how we learn, create, and communicate. It reveals how analogy is behind everything from casual conversation to scientific breakthroughs – and might just change the way you see your own mind.

• Science buffs
• Pop psychologists
• Anyone curious about human behavior

Douglas Hofstadter is a cognitive scientist, philosopher, and Pulitzer Prize–winning author best known for Gödel, Escher, Bach. His work explores themes of consciousness, self-reference, and analogy-making, blending insights from mathematics, artificial intelligence, and linguistics. As a professor at Indiana University, he has contributed to fields ranging from cognitive science to literary translation. 

Emmanuel Sander is a cognitive psychologist and professor at the University of Geneva, specializing in analogy, conceptual development, and learning. His research focuses on how people form categories, use analogies to understand new concepts, and construct meaning in everyday life.