Gödel, Escher, Bach
By Richard Hofstadter

Probably the most famous and entertaining modern exploration of the interrelations among math, art and music, this Pulitzer Prize-winning book will appeal to those interested in exploring connections among seemingly disparate disciplines. Using plenty of diagrams and surprisingly accessible prose, Hofstadter exposes astonishing points of contact among the fugues of Bach, the intricate art of M.C. Escher and the groundbreaking brainstorms of Austrian-born mathematician Kurt Gödel. I first read Gödel, Escher, Bach when I was 18. Most of it went miles over my head, but the premise affected me deeply. This is the first book in which I found answers to questions regarding the contrary viewpoints of science and religion, nature and philosophy.