Logic For Dummies [Paperback]

Mark Zegarelli (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471799416 | ISBN-13: 978-0471799412 | Publication Date: November 29, 2006 | Edition: 1

Logic concepts are more mainstream than you may realize. There’s logic every place you look and in almost everything you do, from deciding which shirt to buy to asking your boss for a raise, and even to watching television, where themes of such shows as CSI and Numbers incorporate a variety of logistical studies. Logic For Dummies explains a vast array of logical concepts and processes in easy-to-understand language that make everything clear to you, whether you’re a college student of a student of life. You’ll find out about:

• Formal Logic
• Syllogisms
• Constructing proofs and refutations
• Propositional and predicate logic
• Modal and fuzzy logic
• Symbolic logic
• Deductive and inductive reasoning

Logic For Dummies tracks an introductory logic course at the college level. Concrete, real-world examples help you understand each concept you encounter, while fully worked out proofs and fun logic problems encourage you students to apply what you’ve learned.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Features real-world examples and worked-out proofs

Clarify your thinking and apply logic to everyday life

Looking to learn logic, but feel lost? Relax! This friendly guide explains logic concepts in plain English, from proofs, predicate logic, and paradox to symbolic logic, semantic structures, and syllogisms. Step-by-step examples show you how to build and prove logical arguments and put equivalence rules to work. You even get tips on passing logic exams!

Discover how to

• Gain a logical perspective
• Evaluate statements with truth tables
• Construct proofs and refutations
• Prove arguments with quantifier logic
• Make logical conclusions
• Grasp quantum and fuzzy logic

About the Author

Mark Zegarelli is a professional writer with degrees in both English and Math from Rutgers University. He has earned his living for many years writing vast quantities of logic puzzles, a hefty chunk of software documentation, and the occasional book or film review. Along the way, he’s also paid a few bills doing housecleaning, decorative painting, and (for ten hours) retail sales. He likes writing best, though.

Product Details

• Paperback: 388 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (November 29, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471799416
• ISBN-13: 978-0471799412
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #51,062 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mark Zegarelli is the author of Logic For Dummies. He holds degrees in both English and math from Rutgers University. He has earned his living for many years writing vast quantities of logic puzzles, a hefty chunk of software documentation, and the occasional book or film review. Along the way, he's also paid a few bills doing housecleaning, decorative painting, and (for ten hours) retail sales. He likes writing best, though.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Logically good, February 4, 2007

By 

mrliteral - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Logic For Dummies (Paperback)

If a book is informative and well-written, then it is a good book. In the world of logic, if the antecedent ("if a book is informative and well-written") is true, then the consequent ("then it is a good book") must also be true. Furthermore, for an "and" statement to be true, both of its components (informative, well-written) must individually be true. So, is Logic for Dummies by Mark Zegarelli a good book?

It is informative. After a brief overview of logic (including its history), Zegarelli gets into the meat of logic, with a particular focus on sentential and quantifier logic. Of course, these terms mean little to the novice in logic, but he gives plenty of explanation as to what both are. Both are considered forms of classical logic and reduce statements to what are essentially formulas of letters and symbols. In a way, it's like mathematics in its approach to proofs. It's not always easy to breeze through, but with patience, it all adds up. Beyond classical logic, Zegarelli also gives the reader a brief introduction into other, sometimes more exotic, forms of logic.

It is well-written. This means two things. First, Zegarelli is able to convey his information in an understandable fashion. That is not to say it is always easy to understand at first glance, but (as stated before), if you carefully follow his explanation, it makes sense. Second, it is readable. It is possible to be both informative and clear and still read dryly; Zegarelli writes with a light, occasionally humorous, tone that makes the reading much more enjoyable.

So logically, this is a good book, as the "if" part is true. Is it a great book? Not quite, which is why I'm rating it four stars and not five. Despite its generally being informative and well-written, it lacks the quality of excellence. There are times when Zegarelli could illustrate his topics better, and there are some topics (such as paradoxes and logical fallacies) that he could delve into deeper. But even if not perfect, this serves as a good introduction to the subject (as "Dummies" books often do), so if you want to learn more about logic, this book is a good place to start.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best intro to logic out there, February 14, 2007

By 

G. Scimeca "GDS" (Richmond, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Logic For Dummies (Paperback)

I have schlepped through the Hodges and Tarski books to teach myself basic symbolic logic, as well as the Schaum's guide for practice problems.

Why, I ask myself. Probably because I dropped college logic because I found it too confusing and the professor an obtuse windbag. Because of this act of cowardice, I have tried to make amends by learning on my own in my spare time. I also found that I enjoyed it, but it was slow-going.

While far from perfect, this is the BEST way to learn solid fundamentals in logic, I only wish it were available years ago. I would have saved lots of time and frustration.

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Beware of typos and errors, February 9, 2008

By 

Anthony B. Hernandez (Chicago / midwest) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Logic For Dummies (Paperback)

While I thought this book was laid-out well and served as a good introduction, I was disappointed to see such a large number of errors in the book. It made me wonder if anyone had bothered to proof-read it at all. These mistakes can potentially be severely misleading to the reader unless you are alert and recognize what Zegarelli meant to say.

For example, he clearly lays out in his truth table that value for the biconditional, F <--> T is F. Yet two pages later, there is an error that states that F <--> T is T. In another spot, a parentheses is omitted which completely alters the value of the statement. In another, the statement he is evaluating contains a biconditional <--> but the sentence below the statement refers to an &-operator that isn't even in the statement! And then there's this one: he states, "But when P is true and Q is false, the statement is false", when in actuality he has completely mixed up the truth values of P and Q according to his own truth table. Needless to say, unless you already have a background in logic or are adept enough to pick up on these errors, the reader can easily be confused by these apparent contradictions.

Potential buyers should also be aware that there are a large number of references to pop-culture such as Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Lopez, and Hell's Kitchen. I'm sure Zegarelli uses these as a poor attempt at humor and to try to make readers relate to the subject-matter, but his assumptions about the knowledge and interests of his audience may not necessarily be applicable to everyone.

Despite these misgivings, the book does give a good basic refresher to the material at hand.