A Concise Introduction to Logic [Hardcover]

Patrick J. Hurley (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0495503835 | ISBN-13: 978-0495503835 | Publication Date: September 26, 2007 | Edition: 10

Tens of thousands of students have learned to be more discerning at constructing and evaluating arguments with the help of Patrick J. Hurley. Hurley's lucid, friendly, yet thorough presentation has made A CONCISE INTRODUCTION TO LOGIC the most widely used logic text in North America. In addition, the book's accompanying technological resources, such as CengageNOW and Learning Logic, include interactive exercises as well as video and audio clips to reinforce what you read in the book and hear in class. In short, you'll have all the assistance you need to become a more logical thinker and communicator.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"What I like perhaps most about Hurley's text is the organization of the material. His book introduces the material in step-by-step way building off of what was just learned the section before and adding just enough information to each section to simplify the whole process of learning logic." - David Weise, Gonzaga University

"This is the "gold standard" of introductory logic texts." - Frank Ryan, Kent State University

"It is the clearest text, with the best technology available." - Stephanie Semler, Radford University

"Hurley's text provides a methodical introduction to the strategies and techniques usually covered in an introductory logic course, including both formal and informal topics. Numerous exercises provide plenty of opportunity for students to practice the skills they have learned." - Allyson Mount, Keene State College

"Hurley's book is thorough and very accessible to instructors and students. One of the best logic texts on the market." - Paula Smithka, University of Southern Mississippi --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Patrick Hurley was born in Spokane, Washington in 1942. He received his bachelor's degree in mathematics (with a physics minor) from Gonzaga University in 1964 and his Ph.D. in philosophy of science with an emphasis in history of philosophy from Saint Louis University in 1973. Since 1972 he has been teaching at the University of San Diego where his courses include metaphysics, logic, process philosophy, and legal ethics. In 1987 he received his J.D. from the University of San Diego and he is currently a member of the California Bar Association. His interests include music, art, opera, architecture and environmental issues.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 672 pages
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing; 10 edition (September 26, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0495503835
• ISBN-13: 978-0495503835
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,982 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book for Academic instruction, September 27, 2000

By 

berklaw "berkrep" - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Concise Introduction to Logic (Textbook Binding)

First, I am familar with the 6th edition, so my comments concern that edition. I have both learned from (as a student) and taught from (as an instructor) this book. The book's strength is in formal or deductive logic and not informal or inductive logic. (Although it covers inductive logic and critical thinking). This book should not be used by someone who is looking just to argue better, but is much more suited to an academic setting at the level of a senior in high school or college freshman/sophmore. I am not saying that it is a hard read or too technical, as a matter of fact, it is quite basic, but it is too dry for the average reader and you would simply not pick up the information from simply reading it; you would have to work the problems and interact with others who are also reading the book.

35 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I would buy the software that comes with it again, but not the book, March 3, 2006

By 

Andrew T. Fyfe (Dallas, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Concise Introduction to Logic (Book & CD-ROM) (Hardcover)

I teach introduction to logic at a local community college and I used this text for my class--once. I will not again. It is way overpriced, wordy, and badly structured. However, my biggest problem was that the questions the book would ask my students to answer in the homework would often (1) rely on knowledge not taught in the chapter, (2) had the wrong answer in the answer key, or (3) asked questions with many right answers but listed only one as right in the answer key.

Furthermore, the online www.ilrn.com homework was way too advanced for my students to work with. It requires long loadtimes, Java scripts, etc. The ilrn.com site also has quite a few *kinks* to work out (automatic grading is often wrong). Unless you have a class full of students with good computers, good internet connections, and some basic internet knowledge (e.g. how to install Java into their browser); the online homework will be more trouble then it's worth. If the *kinks* are worked out and ilrn.com is programed to require less of the computers (get rid of the Java!) then this has the potential to be a great service. Maybe, in the 13th or 15th edition this will be a good addition to the (otherwise crappy) book.

I will agree with another reviewer that the "CD is unnecessary." The CD covers the same material as the book, and so either the book or the CD is unnecessary. However, the book is miserable while the CD is excellent. If anything is unnecessary it is the book. The only saving grace for Hurley is the EXCELLENT CD-rom program that came along with 9th edition of his book. This is a 5-star computer program for learning logic and I would use it again in teaching my classes if the CD could be purchased seperately.

Since I also don't like the Copi and Cohen Intro to Logic text, it looks like spring quarter I am going to try using the Henry Gensler "Introduction to Logic." The software you get with the Gensler book doesn't look anywhere near as wonderful as what comes with the Hurley text, but at least the Gensler text looks like a good book.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It contains what you need to know to be a logical person, April 28, 2008

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: A Concise Introduction to Logic (Book & CD-ROM) (Hardcover)

Logic is something that all humans believe they practice, but few actually do it with regularity. Sometimes it is inconvenient to be logical, but the vast majority of the time it is due to a failure to understand what the rules of logic are. This book, designed to be a text for a college level course in logic, contains what you will need to be a logical person. The material is for a logic course taught more in a philosophical vein rather than in the mathematical format.
The chapter headings are:

*) Basic concepts
*) Language: Meaning and definition
*) Informal fallacies
*) Categorical propositions
*) Categorical syllogisms
*) Propositional logic
*) Natural deduction in propositional logic
*) Predicate logic
*) Induction

The exposition is conversational in tone and verbal in presentation. There are few formulas in the early chapters and there are a large number of problems at the ends of the sections. Most of the problems are textual in nature, and solutions to many of them are included in an appendix.
This book is a sound choice as a textbook in a course in basic logic; I found some of the examples used in the later chapters of value when talking about predicates in my course on the theory of computation.