Customer Reviews

The PowerScore LSAT Logical Reasoning Bible: A Comprehensive System for Attacking the Logical Reasoning Section of the LSAT

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is by far the best system out there for self-study. I tried the other known names (Princeton Review, Kaplan, etc.) without a lot of improvement in my practice scores. After completing the two Powerscore books (Logical Reasoning Bible and Logic Games Bible), I saw a 10 point increase in my practice scores. My final LSAT score was 174, thanks largely to these two books. However, be prepared to spend some serious time on these books if you want to benefit from their system.

This book is great. I've taken the TestMaster's actual course and bought this book to supplement my learning. TestMasters & Powerscore are very similar in their classroom teaching methods, and this book pretty much states in text what the teachers say. The techniques this book teaches is worth its weight in gold! It has clear explanations and anyone can come to terms with their reasoning.

However, the only bad thing about this book is that it does not contain enough problems. You WILL have to buy other books for this, but this bible covers the essential information required to solving the various types of logical reasoning questions presented in the LSAT.

I recommend this book to people who have not taken the Powerscore or TestMasters course or those who want a supplement to their lsat classroom course for reference purposes.

I ordered this book, LSAC's "Next 10 LSAT's", and Princeton Review's "Logical Reasoning" book. I've always done well on standardized tests, and I've never been a hardcore studying; so, I was a bit reluctant about going hog wild with the prep books; however, given the importance of this test, I decided to invest my time and money in studying for the LSAT. It has almost become lore that Kaplan doesn't adequately prepare test takers, and I had heard that Princeton Review had a great product; so, of the three that I ordered, I began with PR's book. What a waste of time. Many LSAT prep books seem pedantic in their approach such that you're left wondering if the method merely works for the author and no one else, and this one only strengthened my opinion. Because I'm reviewing the LRB, I won't delve into the nuances of Princeton Review's product, but I wouldn't recommend it. Granted, I didn't finish it, but it didn't seem too promising through the first few chapters.

Now, because the LSAT consists of 4 (FOUR) graded sections -- 2 logical reasoning, 1 logic games, and 1 reading comprehension -- and they all carry equal weight, I decided to purchase a book that covered the logical reasoning as that portion comprises half of your LSAT score. I was a philosophy major at Notre Dame; so, I've had formal logic and felt comfortable with the logic games, but I wanted some work with the arguments portion. I was pleasantly surprised to see how thoroughly LRB attacked specific questions, assuming that you've never had formal logic. LRB breaks each problem into three elements (stimulus, question, and answer choices) and proceeds to discuss the relationship between all three and how that should affect your approach to each individual problem. I found this very helpful as LRB not only offered specific methods for attacking specific problems but also explained the reasoning behind them. For example, Princeton Review suggests reading the question first, then the stimulus, then the answer choices. LRB suggests that you read the question in the order that the information is presented and explains why PR's method is not ideal. All possible questions are condensed to 13 particular types and further broken down into 4 families that are grouped based on their similar relationships between the stimulus, question, and answer choices.

I don't mean for this review to be exhaustive by any means; so, I won't elaborate further, but I found LRB's approach fascinating and very easy to accept since it seemed so, to avoid cliche, logical. As an earlier reviewer suggested, try to apply these methods to every argument you find. I wish that I had purchased the Logic Games Bible too, but I feel like I did pretty well on the LSAT and that can be partly attributed to the confidence I had after working through the LRB. It's over 500 pages; so, pace yourself. I didn't finish it, but I found that the early principles can be applied to all question types. The question types are discussed in detail through the book, and I might've done even better had I finished the book, but I had enough experience with it to suggest it without reservation.

Honestly, these books are worth more than the suggested $49.99 price. The Games Bible and the Logical Reasoning Books by PowerScore are the two best books in their respective fields.

While I was studying the Logical Reasoning Bible I felt like I was cheating. The tips they give you are better than any other book I've come across. (They let you know WHY the other books don't teach correctly and give you specific examples).

If you are seriously considering taking the LSATs than you absolutely cannot get a better studying aid.

Hands Down 5 Stars

I have seen my score jump about 20 points using a combination of this LR Bible and the Games Bible -though it did take me months to get there. This is the most comprehensive book by far (it beats the Princeton Review and most Kaplan books as well as all 17 books I got from taking a rival prep course) but be prepared to study it religiously with ample time. At almost 600 pages, you need probably atleast a month to really get the techniques down. The book also uses real LSAT questions.

The LR Bible divides question types into chapters so for example, if you are having problems with parallel reasoning questions you can skip right over to that section. There is also a chapter on formal logic, which is one of the best I have seen anywhere, that the LSAT employs.

This book is the basics. It is very detailed and gives a great solid foundation on getting to know the lsat.

I am not aware of any other books that deal exclusively with the logical reasoning section of the LSAT. But it doesn't matter. This book is so comprehensive I'm not sure what the other books could include that this book has not.

This should be the FIRST book anyone preparing for the LSAT should buy. It pretty much encompasses what all of the standard prep guides give you and goes into much more depth about how to approach each type of LR problem type - which categorizes for you.

The book is very easy to read and follow, with a narrative style that makes you feel like you've got a one-on-one tutor right there with you.

There are just enough practice problems to get your feet wet. There aren't pages and pages of problems, nor should there be. This is a tutorial on how to attack the LR section. If you want LR questions, there are already many other easily accessible sources.

Since the LR section accounts for 50% of the test, I don't see how anyone can skip reading this book.

I thought this prep book was pretty good, but it was a monster to get through, so get it early. I don't think it was as helpful as the Logic Games Bible by PowerScore, but it was generally useful because it helped break down the question types and told you what to look for with each. However, I felt that practicing a lot with the actual LSAT tests was better for test preparation. If you need a supplement, PowerScore is the way to go, but don't expect quick solutions.

This is indeed an excellent book. Without assuming that you know anything about the LSAT, it offers a top-to-bottom, detailed review of the logical reasoning section (which takes up half of the test) and explains in detail exactly what skills test takers need to develop. It is educational in its own right.
Mr. Killoran clearly has a profound understanding of the LSAT. At various points, he tells us what the makers of the test are looking for, why questions are written the way they are and which tricks the test makers use to try to lure students away from the right answer!
This book is also user-friendly in its format (there is plenty of space for note-taking), personable in the way it is written and sprinkled with humor. No cutesy platitudes - nothing cheesy like the trite little blurbs about what "180 test scorers" supposedly do, think, and feel according to Kaplan. (I should think you are much more likely to get a 180 with the Bible than with Kaplan anyway).
Besides the sample LSAT questions, the Logical Reasoning Bible has helpful drills of its own that are meant to hone in some concepts about how to identify and attack different types of questions. It also has tips on how to eliminate wrong answers quickly depending on what kind of problem you are faced with.
This is not, however, a last-minute study guide. It takes a long time to get through (I suppose it is called "Bible" for a reason), especially for those of us with no training in formal logic, so make sure you have at least several weeks to spare before the test.
This book does not include any full-length tests, so buy the Law School Admission Council's tests for practice.

I am an LSAT instructor. Of all the logical reasoning "lessonbooks" published (i.e. Kaplan and Princeton Review being the more commonly known competition), I recommend this book the most.

The breakdown of each question category is very thorough. If you cannot afford to take high priced test prep courses, then this is the next best option because it basically sums up our lectures into written form.

Having said this, there are a lot of subtle technique that are difficult to deliever and convey through written text. So this book isn't perfect. If you are going to buy this book, then also buy a 10 real LSAT book. For the concepts you find difficult to grasp, I suggest you wrestle with by practicing on real test questions.

I was having a hard time on the LR section of the LSAT...a really hard time. I scored well on the AR and the RC sections, but my LR was very, very bad. I was getting 10 or so wrong on every section...without staying in the time frame! This book helped me go from 10 wrong to 2 and cut my time down from an hour to 30 min. Studying for the LSAT is hard and it can be depressing when you just can't seem to improve your score. BUY THIS BOOK. It not only helps your score, but you confidence as well.

Before this book I was getting a 157 -- After this book; a 170 (top score 173).