# Shadows of the Mind by Roger Penrose

2 Hacker News commenters recommended Shadows of the Mind by Roger Penrose and 0 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 2 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Recommended for its arguments about whether machines can match human understanding and for a clear statement of Penrose's thesis.

## Why people recommend it

- Arguments on whether AI is possible (1 comments): "There are good arguments for this (in)possibility, like those presented by Roger Penrose" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46247814))
- Clear account of Penrose's thesis (1 comments): "putting forward a much clearer view of Penrose's thesis" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49547687))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Tao Te Ching by Laozi](https://hackerapproved.com/p/tao-te-ching-translated.md): 32 recommend
- [Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig](https://hackerapproved.com/p/zen-and-the-art-of-motorcycle-maintenance.md): 24 recommend
- [Meditations by Marcus Aurelius](https://hackerapproved.com/p/meditations.md): 17 recommend
- [I Am a Strange Loop by Douglas Hofstadter](https://hackerapproved.com/p/i-am-a-strange-loop.md): 16 recommend
- [Simulacra and Simulation by Jean Baudrillard](https://hackerapproved.com/p/simulacra-and-simulation.md): 12 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0099582112?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9780099582113) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Shadows of the Mind by Roger Penrose", https://hackerapproved.com/p/shadows-of-the-mind/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).