Nonsense: A Handbook of Logical Fallacies [Paperback]

Robert J. Gula (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 6, 2002

Nonsense is the best compilation and study of verbal logical fallacies available anywhere. It is a handbook of the myriad ways we go about being illogical--how we deceive others and ourselves, how we think and argue in ways that are disorderly, disorganized, or irrelevant. Nonsense is also a short course in nonmathematical logical thinking, especially important for students of philosophy and economics. A book of remarkable scholarship, Nonsense is unexpectedly relaxed, informal, and accessible.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 174 pages
• Publisher: Axios Press (September 6, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0966190858
• ISBN-13: 978-0966190854
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #720,376 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

95 of 99 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Short Reads on the topic of Logical Fallacies, February 22, 2006

By 

Gabriel E. Borlean (Odense, Denmark - birthtown of fairytale-writer H.C. Andersen) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Nonsense: A Handbook of Logical Fallacies (Paperback)

Want to differentiate between the heavy emotional language you hear, the logic used, and the various errors in logic? Want to know what that false argument is called? Want to find a book that does not look, feel, and read like a textbook, but can easily be read/perused at your convenience?

This little paperback book (174 pages) is one of the best resource for exposing the various arguments and false logic that we humans sometimes use. The prose flows very easily, groups related fallacies together, and the author offers plenty of real-life examples. The first 3 content chapters discuss Emotional Language, its use and misuse. Then there is a chapter on Logical Fallacies. Then the author talks about Irrelevance, Confusion, Oversimplification, Evasion, Erroneous Comparison and Contrast, Arguments, Semantics, and Syllogism.

"I just know that that doesn't make any sense, but I'm not sure why" begins the author in the first chapter "Everyday Nonsense." The end of the book has a summary listing of all the fallacies and nonsense terms, a Bibliography, and a useful Index. The author, Robert John Gula (1941-1989) was educated at Colby College and Harvard University. He taught a course on logic (among other subjects) at a very elite private American high school.

46 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great little book!, July 7, 2006

By 

G. Russell (New York) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Nonsense: A Handbook of Logical Fallacies (Paperback)

I was reminded of this book last week while watching "Good Night and Good Luck" - wondering if the material may have been inspired by the events of that era.

I took a Robert Gula's class on logic, fallacies, and rhetoric in high school. It was one of the most valuable courses I ever took! He published this book a few years later in hardcover. I think it had very limited distribution, but purchased a copy at the source shortly after it was published.

The book is an easy read, and a great summary of the ways in which media and so-called leaders mislead and manipulate their audiences. I won't try to summarize it - just look at the table of contents and the sample chapter on the publisher's website.

This should be a required course in high-school, but since that isn't likely to happen, I highly recommend this to anyone over the age of 12. Buy a copy for your parents and one for your teens!

57 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Intro to Fallacies, May 7, 2005

By 

B. G. Thomas (U.S.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nonsense: A Handbook of Logical Fallacies (Paperback)

A very good introduction to fallacies and effective reasoning. It's short, clear, and well organized. An excellent handbook for use in high schools and junior colleges.

By the way, this book can be downloaded (in Adobe Acrobat PDF format) for free from the Axios Institute's website. But you still might want a paperback copy for your library shelves.