Product Details

• Actors: Hans Bluedorn and Nathaniel Bluedorn
• Directors: Hans Bluedorn and Nathaniel Bluedorn
• Format: NTSC
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: G (General Audience)
• Studio: Christian Logic
• DVD Release Date: May 1, 2007
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000RY79YE
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #110,161 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

In two fifty-minute workshops Hans and Nathaniel introduce logic in a useful and fun way. Part One: Learning to Think Logically - Hans and Nathaniel show how to spot propaganda and fallacies on TV and the Internet. They introduce ways parents and students can combat illogic around them. Common errors in reasoning are explained along with recommended books for learning more about logic. Part Two: Using Your Thinking Toolbox - Hans and Nathaniel show how to look at both sides of a controversial topic and decide which is right. Logic can make boring subjects fun and memorable. Topics include: how to spot a scientific hoax, opposing viewpoints in history, and tools for scientific thinking.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction to Logic!, August 18, 2007

By 

K. Price "homeschool mom" (Tennessee, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Logic in 100 Minutes (DVD)

Logic in 100 Minutes DVD Workshop
Hans & Nathaniel Bluedorn
www.christianlogic.com

Having already used The Thinking Toolbox and getting ready to go through The Fallacy Detective with my oldest child (and having reviewed both of those items previously), I was asked to view this DVD workshop and review it on this blog. The DVD shows a taped workshop that Hans and Nathaniel Bluedorn gave at a homeschool meeting in Wisconsin. The tape is well-done and the material covered presented in a straight-forward and easy-to-understand method. The inside of the DVD cover contains LOTS of information about the fallacy material covered in the workshop. In addition, you can print off a brief handout by placing the DVD into your computer.

There are two different presentations on the DVD. The first part is about learning how to think logically, while the second part explains how to use the logic tools that you have learned to spot a hoax, reason through opposing viewpoints and produce a good scientific experiment. The DVD is geared towards ages 10-adult, although the Bluedorns state that the study of logic doesn't usually begin until age 13 when students are better able to use their reasoning and logic skills.

In my opinion, this DVD offers a general introduction to logic and should NOT take the place of studying The Thinking Toolbox or The Fallacy Detective. Both of the books offer a lot more detail on the subject and I highly recommend them. You can see a few examples from the DVD on their website - click here. While the material presented is interesting and the examples are fun, Hans and Nathaniel are pleasant, quick-witted but also a bit subdued in their presentation. This is not a bad thing, but kids used to watching crazy cartoons (yes, we still watch cartoons in our home!) or fancy, fast-paced movies may need to watch this DVD in smaller increments. My Asperger's child would probably need to break it up into 20-30 minute viewings so that he wouldn't lose interest.

Because I have a hearing impaired child, I always review items from this other perspective. Because their workshop is done using a computer program (PowerPoint?) projected on a screen, my daughter would be able to understand most of it. Due to copyright laws, the funny cartoons of The Far Side, Calvin & Hobbes and the like that are used to explain some of the logic ideas presented are NOT allowed to be shown on the DVD. However, the cartoons are read out by the Bluedorns and so the viewing audience can get the basic idea of what is going on in the cartoon.

Overall, I believe Logic in 100 Minutes to be a good introduction to the idea of why it is important to study logic and how useful it would be to have this basic knowledge. I will be viewing this DVD with my son next year before we begin the study of The Thinking Toolbox as I know it will pique his interest! However, I still believe their books are more detailed and worth the purchase! You can buy any of these items at their site, www.ChristianLogic.com.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Increasing children's critical thinking, August 1, 2008

By 

Mike Parks - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Logic in 100 Minutes (DVD)

I purchased this video for my children after reading the "Fallacy detective" with my ten year old. The video is broken into two 50-minute segments. The first part went into detecting propaganda and fallacies in our every day television viewing, reasoning errors, book recommendations and a short Q&A. The second video demonstrates how to filter opposing viewpoints, validate false science and critical scientific thinking. The material itself was the high point of the film.

Now onto the other side of the coin...as another reviewer pointed out, this is a video of two presenters with a PowerPoint. If you go to the thinking toolbox web page, you will find a preview of the video. I really wish the quality and delivery were a little more engaging. My ten year old is a rather critical thinker for her age, but this video just did not hold her attention. The video was geared toward the younger learner, but I found it was not very engaging for the target audience.

I read other reviews that pointed out the use of the comics without pictures and thought it would not be that big of a deal. However, once I watched the video, I realized that they used many comic strips as illustrations. I am sure if this were viewable, my child would have been a little more intrigued. If you still want to purchase the video, I would first watch the web stream of the video from the thinking toolbox website, prior to making the purchase. I would give the video and presentation (since it was geared towards children) a 1, and the material content a 5, leaving my total vote at three stars.

19 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Bored for 100 Minutes, July 26, 2008

By 

Sawyer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Logic in 100 Minutes (DVD)

Do not believe the reviews that rate this video at four stars or higher. I based my purchase decision on those reviews and was utterly disappointed with this product. The video consists of two small-scale convention workshop presentations that were videotaped and slightly edited to incorporate changes in camera angles and to display full-screen what the audience could see projected onto the wall. The video contains a warning at the beginning saying that the comic strip publishers don't allow their comics to be used in videos, so those comics that were presented during the workshops aren't shown on this video. Since the two presenters seem to refer to a comic strip every four minutes, that means you spend lots of time watching them talk about something you can't see yourself. The workshops have many characteristics of amateur presentations, such as reading verbatim what appears on presentation slides, and the two presenters don't have a very charismatic manner of delivering their content. Watching this video is like being in an insufferable class or business meeting. If you want to know what the authors teach about logic, get their books (which are somewhat worthwhile but also overrated). Avoid this video: boring, boring, boring!