Being Logical: A Guide to Good Thinking

McInerny, D.Q.

ISBN 10: 0812971159 / ISBN 13: 9780812971156

Published by Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2005

Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! Seller Inventory # S_440180993

Synopsis:

An essential tool for our post-truth world: a witty primer on logic—and the dangers of illogical thinking—by a renowned Notre Dame professor.

Logic is synonymous with reason, judgment, sense, wisdom, and sanity. Being logical is the ability to create concise and reasoned arguments—arguments that build from given premises, using evidence, to a genuine conclusion. But mastering logical thinking also requires studying and understanding illogical thinking, both to sharpen one's own skills and to protect against incoherent or deliberately misleading reasoning.

Elegant, pithy, and precise, Being Logical breaks logic down to its essentials through clear analysis, accessible examples, and focused insights. D. Q. McInerny explores the sources of illogical thinking—from naïve optimism to narrow-mindedness—before dissecting the various tactics the illogical use in place of effective reasoning, including red herrings, diversions, and simplistic arguments.

An indispensable guide to using logic to advantage in everyday life, this concise, crisply readable book is written explicitly for the layperson. McInerny’s Being Logical promises to take its place beside Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style as a classic of lucid, invaluable advice.

Praise for Being Logical
“Highly readable . . . D. Q. McInerny offers an introduction to symbolic logic in plain English, so you can finally be clear on what is deductive reasoning and what is inductive. And you'll see how deductive arguments are constructed.” — Detroit Free Press

“McInerny's explanatory outline of sound thinking will be eminently beneficial to expository writers, debaters, and public speakers.” — Booklist

“Given the shortage of logical thinking,
And the fact that mankind is adrift, if not sinking,
It is vital that all of us learn to think straight.
And this small book by D. Q. McInerny is great.
It follows therefore since we so badly need it,
Everybody should not only buy it, but read it.”
— Charles Osgood

About the Author: D. Q. McInerny has taught logic to college students for decades at Notre Dame, the University of Kentucky, and Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Lincoln, Nebraska. A scholar of Thomas Merton and the recipient of two PhDs, Professor McInerny lives in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Being Logical: A Guide to Good Thinking
Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks
Publication Date: 2005
Binding: Paperback
Condition: Very Good