Customer Reviews

Reason and Argument (2nd Edition)

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4 star:		(1)
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If you want to develop or improve your skills at identifying and evaluating arguments and reasoning (and you do, don't you?), this is the book for you. Like no other text on critical thinking or informal logic, its clear, simple, precise and no-nonsense approach will help you become a clear and precise thinker. Get a [used & cheap!] copy, study it, master it, and you will soon be able to see through much of the BS that is offered for and against all sorts of views, claims, beliefs, and policies. On the positive side, you will learn what kinds of reasons would be good reasons to support various views and learn to rationally critique and defend your own beliefs and the reasons why you hold them. Invest in your mind by investing in this book!

I've taught applied logic at the university level for over 25 years. Feldman's book is the best text on "informal" logic. If I had my way, every student would be required to work through REASON AND ARGUMENT, either late in high school or early in college.

I will not say much about this book because you must read it to understand the content and the significance of this rare book. The older title of this book was called "In pursuit of truth." This book is beautiful in every aspect. 1. Lets you unfold the truth in the world. 2. Provides best exercises to become argumentative and rational person. 3. It gives you logical reference to "What is logic? What is true? What is objective truth?" There are so many wonderful aspects about this book, I can't list them all. I guarantee that when you finish this book, you will be good at anything you do: computer science, logistics, linguistic, literature, philosophy...etc. I will say no more. Beautiful!

I believe that this book is very informative. It provides a framework for argument analysis. I have a copy of the Copi text. However, I believe that this text has a more streamlined approach to logic and argument analysis.

I do not disagree with other posted reviews. However, I thought I might point out who this book is actually intended for: the uninitiated.

If you have no background in critical thinking or basic philosophical discourse, by all means, pick up this book and give it a read. You will find it immensely helpful.

If you have taken a few courses in philosophy with professors of an analytic bent or find yourself in similar circumstance however, this book will probably do you no good.

The book covers quite a bit of ground and is a very easy read. But anyone with more than cursory knowledge of argumentation will see this book as a overly extended version of a review.

I had to read this book for my philosophy class. It was clear and concise, with lots of hands-on exercises. Not a painful read at all!