Customer Reviews

A Rulebook for Arguments

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

"A Rulebook for Beginners" is made up of 45 discrete rules which have been categorised into nine chapters of general arguing techniques.
Not only does the author give positive rules for arguing, but he also lists about two dozen "Common Fallacies" in a glossary format at the end of the book.

The rulebook is written in an easy to read, and easy to reference layout. While you would definitely read it from front to back the first time, it has been specifically designed so that an engaged beginner can easily refer back to this rulebook when constructing arguments.
While it is clearly focused at the beginner, an intermediate `debater' will certainly glean some helpful hints from it.

Because it is only a concise rulebook, it doesn't do into detailed arguing techniques at all. So if you are interested in more advanced arguing methods, then you should definitely look elsewhere.

Overall this is a superb text for what it was designer for; A Rulebook for Beginners.

Four and a half stars

I just got a copy of the new edition (4th). I have used this previously in teaching college, and needed to upgrade so my students and I have the same edition and page numbers.

The content of the book is wonderful, and I think the extra chapter on oral argumentation is a welcome addition. I also think that the price is great. All my Ph.D. students have been happy to have a copy and enjoy working with it.

One downside of this particular edition: there are numbers for each argument rule, but the design of these is horrible: they are placed on top of the regular text as a light gray, overlapping the heading and some of the body text. This is distracting and annoying. Not sure who gave this design a green light, but I see this as a problem that I hope is remedied in the next edition (or even the next printing of this edition!).

Overall, a great book with one design flaw that shouldn't stop anyone from spending a little for a lot of book.

A Rulebook for Arguments should be required reading as it presents a definitive outline of the basis for reason.

As a centerpiece of what separates humans from animals, the ability to reason represents a critical element in all human endeavors. Illogical reasoning is regrettably everywhere we look; advertisements, politics, religion, business, and even ordinary personal justifications. As a result, improving the ability to reason properly is of vital importance to the individual intellect.

Weston presents a concise overview of the critical aspects of logical reasoning. The subjects covered are designed to strengthen argumentative writing, help avoid common fallacies, and promote the organization of sound conclusions that hold up under any level of scrutiny.

The knowledge base of logic and formation of arguments presented in this book represents a path to improved reasoning abilities and therefore should be essential reading. As an added benefit, the book is brief and the writing is coherent from start to finish, making it an effortless read and one I highly recommend to all.

The Rule Book for Arguments is a very nice shorthand version of the argumentation chapters to be found in ponderous debate textbooks. It is basic, to-the-point, and easy to understand. I intend to recommend it to my HS debate classes. The rules build in complexity, so kids just learning debate are not overwhelmed but can build their skills a little at a time.

I'm currently working on collecting some pieces of writing, hopefully to be placed in a book. I didn't begin this book with the idea that it would contribute to this project, but it ended up being an invaluable compliment to the book on writing I was reading at the same time.

I didn't have any knowledge of arguments before going into this book. (Though I do remember the mention of modus tollens, possibly from grade school?) I now plan to apply some of the practices presented in this book to my writing, by dissecting each and every piece and applying some of the principles. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning the basics of forming arguments- whether verbally or in writing.

I bought this because I wanted a concise quick reference book for argumentation. My job deals primarily with Administrative Law and I write to aribitrators and judges on a daily basis. This book has been exceptional in helping to develop my Agency's position before a third party. The key to any good position paper or case narrative is brevity in framing the argument. This book is a daily reference for logically setting up my arguments in easy to digest sentences.

The book is written in short chapters that give examples of properly framing an argument or position. Although written primarily for an academic setting (term papers, dissertations, etc.) it has tremendous cross occupational applications. The book is written to the layman and clearly defines academic terminology commonly used in academia. It is short enough to be read in a couple of hours and arranged in a easy to follow format with each chapter building upon the previous. The chapter on fallacious arguments is superb in that it allows the user to avoid common pitfalls that could potentially overturn the most well reasoned arugument.

Ironically, the only downside to the book comes from what makes it so great, it's conciseness. A book of this type cannot possibly be expected to contain every detail and minutia of argumentation. There have been times, when I've been left needing more. But for everyday reference this is the best book on the subject I've found yet. It's small enough to not take up too much space in my small office, yet good enough to help me in developing my argument.

This was a required book for my philosophy class, and I'm glad we had to get it. This book is short, easy to read, and right to the point with the right amount of examples to make sure you get it. It's very no nonsense and perhaps there is something better out there, but this is perfect as a rulebook. It's not meant to be a textbook and that's part of it's charm. A good buy for students! I'll refer back to this book for classes to come.

Whenever I have been away from writing for a while, this is one of the first books I pick up. Yes, there are more comprehensive guides out there. But, for the most part, if you are looking for a quick guide to writing for writing various arguments, this is a great book.

A nice feature of this book is the way the subheads of each of the chapters are numbered. Therefore, the table of contents is a veritable checklist for writing arguments. This is a very handy guide and well worth the price.

A Rulebook for Arguments is a great book so far, though I have only read half of it. I am using the book to understand argument and logic in preparation for the LSAT, and it has been a great resource. The structure of this book is clear and covers the basics, which is very helpful. As an undergrad and grad student in geography, I have not had formal classes in philosophy or logic, so I needed help in this area. For a quick, concise read that makes sense choose this book.

I always like to read these types of basic books on logical arguments as they remind us of exactly what biased arguments look like and how to break them down. Truly for anyone in research, it is important to review assumptions inherent in the formulation of a statement you are trying to refute.

I recommend given length (short) and adequate content.