The Art of Logic: How to Make Sense in a World that Doesn't - Softcover

Cheng, Eugenia

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1788160398 ISBN 13: 9781788160391

Publisher: Profile Books, 2019

Synopsis

For thousands of years, mathematicians have used the timeless art of logic to see the world more clearly. In The Art of Logic, Royal Society Science Book Prize nominee Eugenia Cheng shows how anyone can think like a mathematician - and see, argue and think better.

Learn how to simplify complex decisions without over-simplifying them. Discover the power of analogies and the dangers of false equivalences. Find out how people construct misleading arguments, and how we can argue back.

Eugenia Cheng teaches us how to find clarity without losing nuance, taking a careful scalpel to the complexities of politics, privilege, sexism and dozens of other real-world situations. Her Art of Logic is a practical and inspiring guide to decoding the modern world.

About this title

Review

Mind-expanding ... a meaningful contribution to creating a better society as well as happier conversations and relationships (Guardian)

A mathematician's thought-provoking attempt to lay out the tools of rational argument (Michael Brooks New Statesman Books of the Year)

With humour, grace, and a natural gift for making explanations seem fun, Eugenia Cheng has done it again. This is a book to savour, to consult, and to buy for all your friends. You'll think more clearly after reading this book, something that is unfortunately in short supply these days. I am buying several copies to send to heads of state. (Daniel Levitin, bestselling author of The Organised Mind & A Field Guide to Lies and Statistics)

In an era awash with conflict, exploitation, tribalism and fake news, the "illuminating precision" offered by logic is important. Cheng harnesses the power of abstraction to explore real-life phenomena such as sexism and white privilege. She walks us through the grand terrain of logic, from axioms to proofs. And she reveals how to build arguments as long chains of logical implications - a "virtuosic and masterful" skill that, combined with intelligent emotional engagement, can cut through pervasive irrationality (Nature)

A perceptive analysis of logic and its limitations ... Cheng is successful not only in helping readers think more clearly, but in helping them understand why others sometimes appear to be illogical. This book has the potential to help understanding and avoid confrontational arguments that serve only to entrench opposing views (Times Higher Education)

Radical and liberating (Emerald Street)

We're thankful that someone like Eugenia Cheng is here; someone to eloquently and efficiently expound on concepts like logic and truth at a time when their very basis seems to come under attack ... We're forever on the lookout for someone to make mathematics both fun and accessible, and it looks like we've found that person in Eugenia Cheng (How it Works Magazine)

A concert pianist, mathematician, polyglot and YouTube star, Cheng has carved out quite a niche for herself ... she brings an ebullient enthusiasm that's infectious (Guardian)

Witty, charming, and crystal clear. Eugenia Cheng's enthusiasm and carefully chosen metaphors and analogies carry us effortlessly through the mathematical landscape (Ian Stewart)

Clear, clever and friendly (Alex Bellos)

Book Description

A practical, illuminating and timeless guide to thinking better, from a Royal Society Prize shortlisted mathematician - now in paperback

Edition details

• Publisher: Profile Books
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 1788160398
• ISBN 13: 9781788160391
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 320