How to Win Every Argument: An Introduction to Critical Thinking [Hardcover]

Nicholas Capaldi (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Mjf Books (October 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1567313302
• ISBN-13: 978-1567313307
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #900,958 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, April 11, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Win Every Argument: An Introduction to Critical Thinking (Hardcover)

I am a high school debater. This book is absolutely one of the best books written for philosophical debate.

However, I would caution the casual user about buying this book. It will NOT help you win your everday arguments with your boss, collegues, trash disposal, etc...

The ideas are very simple without unnecessary analysis into the depths of logic. Implementing the techniques into debate has been very easy. The book avoids undue jargon and symbols found in other logic books.

The book isin't afraid to expose some technques of deception, which might include unethical abuses of language during a debate. Exposing these helps you tremendously, now one can be able to identify deception as well as use it on an unsuspecting opponent.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Based on the idea that "it takes one to know one"..., November 23, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Win Every Argument: An Introduction to Critical Thinking (Hardcover)

The author found that the best way to teach his philosophy students how to spot fallacies was to teach them the tricks of deceptive arguing--and it works. It eschews most of the passive, tedious techniques commonly used, with a lively, amusing tutorial on how never to lose an argument. Not just limited to formal Socratic debate, it discusses how to approach different audiences, considering how to handle adverse facts, and ways to make your argument 'win' even when it is logically weaker.

If more people read and understood this book, 99% of op-ed columnists would be out of a job!

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Toungue in Check Seriousness about Critical Thinking, June 25, 2003

By 

Jake (Hamton VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Win Every Argument: An Introduction to Critical Thinking (Hardcover)

This book comes across as a handbook on deception, but it clearly educates you on how to recognize fallacies and erroroneous reasoning by understanding how to create fallacies and invalid reasoning. The tone is serious, but having listened to the tape version and have read the book, the author is clearly demonstrating bad reasoning in order we can recognize and are not deceived by salesmen, supervisors, spouses, or anyone else who self-intrests are counter to our self-interests. It's unique prespective helps you deal with deceptive, manipulative, and exploitative people. Also, recommend Sherlock's Logic, another unique approach to logic that might appeal to people who are more comfortable with the idea of using logic to arrive at the truth in a straightforward way.