Customer Reviews

Understanding Symbolic Logic (5th Edition)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I really like this book. It's an excellent undergraduate introduction to logic for non-mathematicians. It's not dumbed down in any way. It's rigorous. The exercises are challenging and plentiful. Most importantly, it explains the basic concepts and tools of symbolic logic in a clear, unpretentious manner. (The 5th edition corrects the mistakes of the 4th.)

By comparison, Copi seems unfocused and flabby; Bergmann & Moor comes off as unnecessarily muscular given the level of the material.

An excellent choice.

This book is the best introduction to logic on the market. Others have made this clear--incuding professors of logic (of both the philosophical and mathematical sort). The reason why I am writing this is because I was flabbergasted to read a couple of the reviews of this book that appear on this website. Anyone that rates this book under four stars was perhaps unsuccessful in logic, tried to blame their lack of ability on Klenk's wonderful text, and didn't have enough ability to begin logic anyway. Logic is difficult. However, this book is completely readable, assuming the one reading it is careful. People that want to be more spoon-fed than how this book attempts, should not begin the topic.

As a note of caution, this is not a light reader. It isn't something that you can pick up and put down and expect to gain too much from. The book moves quickly in teaching all of the fundamentals of symbolic logic, a somewhat cryptic way of proving something by means of the rules of logic. It does a really good job and isn't difficult to read.

This will be my third time time purchasing this book. The first time I bought it was for my Symbolic Logic class in undergrad which turned out to be my favorite course. I was determined to hold onto the book but I had to sell it bc I was low on funds. Years later I purchased the hardback and it's in a footlocker at my parents home states away. I will be purchasing the softcover bc it ships Prime. Klenk made Symbolic Logic fun to learn, so much so I actually contacted the Prof. who taught the course years after I graduated to try and get some problems that I could work on. He was definitely surpised to hear from me. He probably thought I was a nut, but I was feigning for some puzzles. Lol! The puzzles really get addictive once you learn the rules and truth tables. Now all I need is a hefty book of Symbolic Logic puzzles to work through and I'm good to go.

Book came quickly after purchase, but was an old edition. Can't blame it because it was one of the cheaper books on sale, but the edition should of been stated clearly.

This is a decent textbook. The third edition (this edition) is almost EXACTLY identical to the fourth edition, all the exercises are the same, the only difference being the page numbers. Despite being overly wordy in more places than one (see: Unit 1-26, i.e. the whole book...) some of the examples and exercises can be rather amusing. It may seem like an overwhelming amount of material at first, but if you stick with it, it really isn't that difficult. As long as you take it slowly, and your instructor is able to explain things in simpler terms than the book, you'll do just fine.

After attempting an intro to symbolic logic course using the text, "The Logic Book", this other text "Understanding Symbolic Logic" was a godsend! It is very useful and easily understood. I really hope that professors require this as the primary text for their course. Perhaps, if this book is used rather than "The Logic Book", then maybe students will actually pass the course!!!!

I won't bother going into any detail regarding the usefulness of this text, as it has proven to be one of the most reslient of its kind in any field of academics. It allows a student, unfamiliar with the discipline of symbolic logic, to ease in to study like an old man into a warm bath. The trouble is, I would not want to be charged with the task of how much EXCESS money is spent, year in, year out, by the student on this text. This has little to do with the text itself, but mainly with the manner in which it is bound. How or why, after so many years of availability, this text is not available to the student in softcover, wreaks of shameless profiteering. While examples of this nature abound in the world of academic textbooks, Klenk's 'Understanding Symbolic Logic' provides one of the more glaringly obvious examples of how the 'textbook industry' pays no heed to the concern of the individual student, regarding them rather as consumers and statistics, symbols if you will. While this does not defy capitalist logic, it does defy any modicum of human decency.

I ordered this book for a college Logic class, and it hasn't disappointed. There's no getting around the somewhat boring text in this book, even though it is flavored by some humorous logic scenarios. But, I fault my lack of interest in the subject, and not the book itself. I've learned a lot from the class, and the book is essential.

It arrived in great condition, even though I ordered it used, and it had a speedy delivery.

This book is excellent. It is packed with information. It is concise, precise, and an excellent tool. Get it!