Book Description
Unsurpassed for its clarity, conciseness, and comprehensiveness, Hurley's market-leading A CONCISE INTRODUCTION TO LOGIC has established itself as the standard for introductory logic classes. Hailed in the first eight editions for an unwavering commitment to lucid, focused, reader-friendly presentations of logic's basic topics, the latest edition also continues to expand upon Hurley's tradition of technological excellence with the introduction of vMentor and iLrn Logic. These two technologies help you manage the workload of teaching logic by providing your students with a live, online logic tutoring service and you with an online system that automates homework and test grading. In addition, Hurley's outstanding LEARNING LOGIC-an interactive, audio-visual recasting of the entire text-remains a free supplement with each copy of the text. Rounded out with a Book Companion Website that features student quizzing and interactive tutorials on Venn diagrams and truth tables, Hurley's A CONCISE INTRODUCTION TO LOGIC, Ninth Edition is not only the most logically sound choice that a professor could make for his or her logic course, but the most "technologically" sound choice as well.
Customer Reviews:
A concise Intro t Logic.......2007-09-04
Very specific definitions and a good text for review of a systematic approach to learning logic.
Great book for intro to logic.......2007-08-28
Easy to follow. Great when one does the excersizes. Book + Good teacher = success!
The Received Wisdom.......2007-06-03
With the advent of mass scale personal computing in the early 1980's, Logic acquired a new aura of reverence from the lords and administrators of academia. After all, Logicians invented the computer, didn't they? And computer "languages" are second-order languages, aren't they? I mean to say - your computer thinks, talks, and breathes Logic. That's part of the reason why at some schools, undergrads can now fulfill their math requirement with an Intro Logic course, why it's a requirement for graduation at others, necessary transfer credit for others. More and more students are taking Logic than ever before.
But Logic's status in the cannon is not new. Back in the late middle ages, when that quintessentially occidental innovation - higher education - began, in places like Paris, Oxford, Cambridge, and Hiedlberg, Logicians ruled the roost. In those days, the students, male monks, would spend their afternoons engaged in the Disputatio, a marathon session of argument, in which the finer points in Aristotle's Prior and Posterior Analytics (which comprise a good deal of what is discussed in Hurley) were bounced back and forth, with verbal thrusts and parries, that went by names such as Tu Quo Que and Ad Ignoratum.
Today, we have progressed to a degree, and Logic is a vast and vibrant field and discipline. Hurley is the most used introductory Logic text in the USA, probably the world. It is thought of as the standard text, supplanting Copi, used for many years. I have taught Hurley, the text used at my school, through three editions, since 2001.
My conclusion (as Hurley is wont to call that part of the argument that we in America generally refer to as the "claim") is that the perfect introductory logic textbook has yet to be written and likely will never be. That being the case, on the positive side of the ledger, Hurley is as good as it gets. The basics, if somewhat obliquely, are set forth in reasonably ordered, digestible chunks. There are practice exercises at the end of each section (while not nearly enough in most instances, more than in any of the other texts I've perused). More or less successful attempts are made to explain the way in which logic works. A paucity of space is given "the whys and wherefores". The standard introductory material (comprising surprisingly only about 67% of this ambitious book) is presented in traditional fashion, according to the basic instances of necessity in formal logic: first, entailment, then equivalence, then consistency (proof). There is a brief and difficult section on informal logic early on in the text. The book is written from a pragmatic and empiricist perspective, characteristic of the Deweyian style pedagogy embraced by most of the educators of Hurley's generation. I will say, despite its many flaws, Hurley made me the Logic teacher I am today, far more than any of the courses I took as a student. I learned to teach Logic, teaching Hurley.
Now - I will briefly vent my copious frustrations. The book is of uneven quality. Certain facets are superb, like the "strategies" at the end of the sections on natural deduction, and the glossary of key terms at the end of the text. And Hurley has a real talent for constructing helpful charts, which is generally evident. Others, such the crucial and challenging section on translation syntax (the rules delineated in section 4.7), tacked onto the tail-end of the section on Categorical Logic as an afterthought, are hidden in the flow of the text, rather than boldly set off, in flashing neon, as they should be. Others, such as the chapter on informal logic, are dated and inept. And a few, such as the section on Sorities are elliptical, simply atrocious, and must be supplemented by other material in the classroom for a decent explanation. Hurley shares in that circumambulatory obfuscation of the language that seems peculiarly endemic to Logicians and Mathematicians, which is, to say in the words of W.H. Auden, "loquacious when the watercourse is dry". And Hurley's prose is dry - like shredded wheat, without the milk. Boring. More seriously, as mentioned, this breed of writer has always seemed to me elliptical or evasive at critical points in the exposition, perhaps indicative of that philosophical den of iniquity from which they emerge. Prime example: Hurley is asking questions in the homework exercises in the first chapter, on page 49, which require an explanation of validity in conditional forms. Nowhere is this basic explanation to be found until page 322! Thus, one must empathize with the student who, in his review, claimed that the book "stinks" and that one must have the guidance of a qualified teacher to understand the subject. Hurley does put a burden on the underpaid teacher. And, as another reviewer points out, there are numerous errors in the answer keys which have remained uncorrected through a number of editions. Also, I preferred the more compact size of the answer key - Wadsworth went nuts with these "workbook style" versions, which don't work in my briefcase.
However, at the end of the day, it must be conceded that, as introductory logic courses are forcing houses for a certain type intellectual acumen deemed desirable at this juncture in the development of civilization, Hurley is up to the task.
Logic.......2007-02-08
This is an excellent book for students of logic. It covers all the essential material that would be presented in most college logic courses. I found the text to be very comprehensive and easy to understand.
THIS BOOK STINKS!!!.......2007-01-04
If you have to take a class that requires this text, drop the class. The only thing that can save you is an excellent teacher and good notes. Not only does the text contradict itself, but the professor's answer key isn't always correct. Even within the same edition, there were differences between books. I DO NOT recommend purchasing this book.
Book Description
Easy-to-read, visually appealing, and chock full of real-world applications, this most complete and authoritative book on introductory logic fully prepares users to understand, recognize, and apply classical syllogistic logic and the more powerful techniques of modern symbolic logic—explaining all concepts and techniques clearly, accurately, and thoroughly, and bringing them to life using a wealth of real-life examples of lively arguments and explanations drawn from a wide variety of sources to help demonstrate the application of logical principles by serious writers and thinkers trying to solve real problems in a wide range of fields. Includes full chapters on basic logical concepts, the uses of language, definitions, fallacies, categorical propositions, categorical syllogisms, arguments in ordinary language, symbolic logic, methods of deduction, quantification theory, analogy and probable inference, Mill's Methods of experimental inquiry, science and hypothesis, and probability. Reformulates key logical issues, and presents a more detailed account of the concept of logical equivalence, distinguishing it more clearly from the truth-functional connectives. Includes sidebars containing additional, enriching information; many new illustrations taken from contemporary research I the physical and biological science; and a plethora of exercises. For anyone searching for a top-notch, easy-to-understand introduction to logic.
Customer Reviews:
Introduction to Logic.......2004-11-22
I read this book in early 1980.Because of my background in mathematics, I read the language and deduction portion, of my own in just few days.Earlier I had read Morris Cohen & E Nagel's famous book.Treatment of scientific method etc. seemed better in the latter,yet to learn about various aspects of language usage and deductive logic was realy an electrifying experience then .The part on inductive logic is in its own way excellent.I have 2/3 editions of this book and used it when teaching to a class of judicial officers about use of logic in law esp. chapter 15.This is a must for the autodidact.
Elementary, my dear reader..........2004-07-07
Logic is not just for Spock; deduction (which, if you read this book, you'll discover is rather different) is not just for Sherlock Holmes. Many if not most students of philosophy over the past 50 years have had their beginning logic training from an edition of this book, 'Introduction to Logic' by Irving M. Copi, now in its eleventh edition, also now with a co-author listed, Carl Cohen.
I first learned logic in a two-semester sequence through the philosophy department at my university from the fifth edition of Copi's text, supplemented by other material from Copi and a few others on symbolic logic. Logic was required of philosophy majors; it was strongly recommended of majors in sciences and mathematics; it was preferred for students in social sciences. Indeed, the principles of logic contained in Copi's text would not be out of place in most any discipline.
This introductory text is also recommended reading for those preparing for major placement examinations, such as the LSAT and the MCAT. Learning how to think, and recognising typical and non-so-typical flaws in argumentation and reasoning are vital in many professions; the applications for law and medicine are fairly clear.
The text is divided into different sections, including Language, Induction, and Deduction. Language issues look at aspects such as definitions, informal fallacies in language, the question of meaning, truth and validity, and how to recognise argument forms. Deduction, what Sherlock Holmes always claims to be engaging, is a method whereby the validity of the premises provide the truth of the conclusion. In fact, Holmes usually engages in Inductive reasoning, including arguments by analogy and establishing probabilities, but not certainties.
This book beyond the introductory chapters on language arguments engages in symbolic logic -- rather like mathematics, it uses non-linguistic tools to work out the framework. The pieces of symbolic logic (fairly standard across the discipline, like mathematics) are introduced in various stages as inductive and deductive reasoning are developed.
Copi and Cohen look at real-life applications, particularly as logic relates to scientific reasoning and social science reasoning. While this is not a mathematics text, it introduces some elements useful in mathematics, particularly in probability and in elements used in statistical reasoning.
This text can be used for self-study, as some of the exercises are worked out in the back. There are also study guides available that have been produced for earlier editions; they are nonetheless useful, as much of the material remains the same from one edition to another.
A great text!
Ideal Text for Self-Study.......2003-08-12
I bought this book (along with the study guide) and began self-studying the material to improve my logical ability. The book is relatively easy to understand even for novices with no prior training in logic and uses examples that are entertaining and interesting. The answers to select homework questions (about 1/4) are in the back so I would suggest that for self-study, either the study guide (which includes another 1/4) or the complete answer guide should also be purchased. The text itself is very fun to go through and I think Copi and Cohen do an amazing job as teachers. For those planning on taking the LSAT, this book may prove more beneficial than a test prep course if you want to understand the actual reasoning behind the test and not just regurgitate formulaic test-taking strategies.
Essential for Building Analytical Skills.......2003-06-02
This textbook is the most valuable I've ever read. It covers all the basic stuff, like fallacies, syllogisms, truth-functional logic, and second-order predicate calculus, omitting only cutting edge stuff like modal and fuzzy logic--and gives full, lucid, elegant explanations. What's more, it shows you how logic applies to the real world by using a variety of interesting examples--something MY logic professor never bothered doing. I can guarantee you that, if you read this book carefully from cover to cover and do all the exercises and PRACTICE applying them, you will become a much smarter, more effective person. (Example: after working through this book, I was able to score in the 99th percentile on the LSAT). Anyone planning on becoming a lawyer, a scientist, or even a journalist will acquire extensive and essential analytical skills by using Copi's magnificent textbook.
Superb.......2003-05-19
All I can do is echo the many enthusiastic reviews this book has already received. Copi covers a wide array of logics, formal and informal, classical and modern, and demonstrates their applications using real-life examples drawn from science, political journalism, and the law. He is lucid, nuanced, and insightful. Reading this remarkable textbook is the equivalent of taking introductory courses in symbolic logic, rhetoric, philosophy of science, and legal reasoning. I learned more from this one book than from an entire year at UC Berkeley. It's a keeper!
Book Description
By introducing logic and by emphasizing the structure and nature of the arguments used, this book helps readers transition from computationally oriented mathematics to abstract mathematics with its emphasis on proofs. Uses clear expositions and examples, helpful practice problems, numerous drawings, and selected hints/answers. Offers a new boxed review of key terms after each section. Rewrites many exercises. Features more than 250 true/false questions. Includes more than 100 practice problems. Provides exceptionally high-quality drawings to illustrate key ideas. Provides numerous examples and more than 1,000 exercises. A thorough reference for readers who need to increase or brush up on their advanced mathematics skills.
Customer Reviews:
Great book.......2007-04-29
Analysis at this level is probably the most challenging class for an undergraduate degree. However, this book made it very manageable. I found the introduction to proof very helpful. I encourage anyone who is using this book to study this chapter ahead of time. It will make the subsequent chapters a lot easier to handle. If it was not for this book and the outsdanting professor I had, I would never have passed this class. Go for it!
good to go.......2005-09-29
The book arrived in good condition and I have not had any problems with it.
Definitely a good first text.......2002-09-05
I bought this book because I have been looking for a Introductory analysis text that isn't too advanced, but yet doesn't gloss over the essential stuff, and I found it in Lay's book. For the self-studier, this book is excellent! I have several books on analysis: Shilov, Kolomogorov, Rosenlicht, Ross,etc... For the beginner, this book is superior to all of them. A plethora of examples. Also, a good range of problems:from straight forward problems requiring only the use of a definition to more advanced problems requiring a little thought. If you already have had some Analysis, then this book is probably not for you. But, if you are a student who wants to learn Analysis on your own, then this book would be hard to beat. After this book, one should be able to tackle "Papa Rudin". For according to Rudin, all that is needed to study his "Real and Complex Analysis" tome, is the first seven chapters of his "Principles of Mathematical Analysis". This book covers all that Rudin covers with the exception of Riemann-Stieltjes integration. On the whole, this is a great start! If proof-based math is new to you, then you will appreciate the first chapter on proofs. Would have given five stars, but I would have liked to seen Riemann-Stieltjes integration. That's really only nit picking, though.
This book was surprisingly good.......2002-07-03
I didn't think this book was going to be very good, but the author has "proved" me wrong ;-) This book starts out so basic that in my class (which was the first analysis course in our math department) we actually skipped the first 1/3 or so of the book. The first 9 or 10 sections consist of stuff like basic set theory, logic, definition of a function, etc. I would think that even the most elementary Analysis books would completely leave this out and expect that the reader is already familiar with this. So if you need it, this book will be a good resource for you.
Then the book goes into a very nice introduction to topology. Basic concepts like open/closed sets, accumulation points, compact sets, etc. Topology can be a little intimidating simply because it's _so_ abstract, but this book makes the basic concepts very easy to understand, and prepares one for a more advanced course in topology. Alot of (good) Elementary Analysis books leave topology out, but I'm glad this book contained it. It is a very interesting subject.
All the material in the book is explained probably about as easily as the concepts CAN be explained. If you still have trouble with it, you might consider a different major. Not to say that this book transforms a very difficult subject into a pathetically easy piece of cake because that's impossible, but the material is presented probably as easily as it can be in order to maintain precision and detail (which is the whole point of Analysis).
The book is definitely not running short in the examples or end-of-section problems department, so that is another plus. The problems at the end of each section range in difficulty from problems that almost exactly match an example worked in detail in the section, to fairly challenging problems. With enough time though the average student could probably do every problem at the end of every section.
I'd recommend this book for self study as well as a supplement to any introductory analysis course. If you have already have exposure to rigorous proof of calculus theorems, then this book will probably be too basic for you.
The reason this book got 4 stars instead of 5 is because of its utterly ridiculous price. Just as good is Elementary Analysis: The Theory of Calculus, ISBN: 038790459X, except that it doesn't include the section on Topology ...
Amazon.com
"Intended as an upper-level undergraduate or introductory graduate text in computer science theory," this book lucidly covers the key concepts and theorems of the theory of computation. The presentation is remarkably clear; for example, the "proof idea," which offers the reader an intuitive feel for how the proof was constructed, accompanies many of the theorems and a proof. Introduction to the Theory of Computation covers the usual topics for this type of text plus it features a solid section on complexity theory--including an entire chapter on space complexity. The final chapter introduces more advanced topics, such as the discussion of complexity classes associated with probabilistic algorithms.
Book Description
Michael Sipser's emphasis on unifying computer science theory - rather than offering a collection of low-level details - sets the book apart, as do his intuitive explanations. Throughout the book, Sipser builds students' knowledge of conceptual tools used in computer science, the aesthetic sense they need to create elegant systems, and the ability to think through problems on their own.
Customer Reviews:
My choice for textbook in my computation theory class.......2007-10-01
I recently encountered this book at a publisher's booth at a computer conference and read it on the ride back home. This morning I made a trip to the college bookstore and notified them that it is the textbook that I will be using in my computation theory class this spring.
The chapter titles are:
0) Introduction - this chapter contains the fundamental mathematical background of sets, functions, graphs and proofs. For most students, it could be skipped or skimmed.
1) Regular languages - this chapter is an introduction to deterministic and nondeterministic finite automata and regular expressions.
2) Context-free languages - an introduction to context-free grammars and pushdown automata.
3) The Church-Turing theses - an introduction to Turing machines and the variants, such as multiple tapes and nondeterministic Turing machines.
4) Decidability - the definition of decidability and how Turing machines and finite automata are used to prove or disprove if a language is decidable.
5) Reducibility - the definition of reducible and how Turing machines can be used to execute reductions.
6) The recursion theorem - an introduction to the recursion theorem and some applications to formal theories.
7) Time complexity - the first chapter in the coverage of algorithmic complexity, in this case execution time.
8) Space complexity - an examination of the complexity of algorithms from the perspective of the amount of memory required.
9) Intractability - an examination of the problems that can be solved in principle but not in practice.
10) Advanced topics in complexity theory - approximation algorithms, probabilistic algorithms, alternation, interactive proof systems, parallel computation and cryptography.
There is less coverage of grammars than most books, which is replaced by more in the area of algorithmic analysis. In my opinion, that is an appropriate tradeoff, the analysis of algorithms gives the students some understanding of how automata are applied in computer science.
Another excellent feature of this book is the solutions to selected exercises that appear at the end of the chapters. My estimate is that reasonably detailed solutions to approximately one-third of the problems are included. This allows the students to work extra problems by themselves, and helps the instructor if they are asked to do another example in class that they have not already worked through.
The exposition is very good; I am convinced that the students will be able to read the material on their own, which is one more reason why I adopted this book for my course.
well-organized, progressive, and understandable.......2007-01-06
As an intro to the theoretical background to computer science goes, this book is about as readable and approachable as you can get.
It gives a very thorough treatment of the whole theoretical basis, from regular languages and pumping lemmas out through Turing machines and related issues, and on to some interesting language classes (like NP and PSpace-complete).
If there's a single sticking point with the book, it's that it insists on a very strict formalism (ie: everything is proof-based) -- something necessary for the topic, but it sometimes renders the material a bit hard to digest.
Great book on the subject.......2006-12-27
If you are interested in or for other reasons must read a book on this subject, this is the book. I took a class last semester which used Hopcroft as the text and I found myself often turning to this book for better understanding. This book is more intuitive and thus a bit less formal than Hopcroft but when trying to learn, understanding is better than mathematical formalism. If you are new to the subject, Sipser is the book to begin with.
Very readable, diverse, and a little sparse.......2006-11-25
This is a wonderful little gem of a book that presents the theory of computation in a fascinating way. It is targeted at advanced undergraduates in computer science, but assumes remarkably little prior knowledge, making it accessible to nearly anyone. The book covers a lot of ground, including the standard fare of automata, computability, and complexity results, plus some bonus material such as probablistic and parallel complexity, information theory, decidable logical theories, and other topics that are normally left out of introductory books. On top of this, the book is remarkably thin!
The best attribute of Sipser's book, though, is the engaging style. This is an easy book to read. You will not feel like you're running into a brick wall, as is sometimes the case with books on abstract topics. It's not so much that the book is slow or gentle (it's really not) as that it is interesting, engaging, and has a knack for stopping short of getting too caught up in details. A number of small things -- the occasional amusing exercise, the "proof idea" sections, or helpful pictures -- add up to an enjoyable reading experience.
Two cautions are appropriate to students considering this book. First, there are variations between authors in the definitions of various automata (especially PDAs). The differences are trivial, and more a matter of taste than of any real importance; but it could come up if you use Sipser as a supplement to a course that follows a different textbook. Second, the coverage of many topics in Sipser's book is brief and concise, sometimes more than you might like. Some important concepts (for example, pairwise distinguishability of strings) are only mentioned in exercises, not in the main chapter, so at least skim all the exercises even if you don't do them. The sketchy coverage is especially pronounced in advanced topics, so (as always) expect to do some filling in of concepts if you go on into further study of this area.
Most appropriate for CS students.......2006-06-01
As a teacher of the subject, I have had the chance to evaluate numerous books on the theory of computation. Of all the available texts, I think this one is the most appropriate for CS students. In the past I taught out of Dexter Kozen's book, which is incredibly elegant, but had some resistance from the students. Thinking it over I decided that Kozen's text, although beautiful, may be better suited to students pursuing a degree in pure math. Sipser's book, on the other hand, is more gentle. I find that Sipser demands far less mathematical maturity from his readers, and thus allows the difficulty to be shifted from excessive formalism to the inherent challenges present in the material. In addition, following Sipser's treatment, I was able to cover finite state machines and pushdown automata in far less time, thus allowing me to concentrate on computability and beyond. The book really shines in its treatment of computability theory, eloquently directing attention to some of the most beautiful aspects.
Another benefit of Sipser's book is the exercises, of which there are many more in this edition. Someone studying on their own should find the initial group of exercises in each section quite approachable. Even the more challenging problems are not incredibly hard, and typically draw their difficulty from the deeper themes of the chapter instead of obscure details.
If you are looking for an enjoyable, well-paced book with an introduction to computability and complexity that is truly inspiring, this is the one for you. A mathematician looking for a bit more rigor may do better with Kozen.
Book Description
This book introduces a modern approach to embedded system design, presenting software design and hardware design in a unified manner. It covers trends and challenges, introduces the design and use of single-purpose processors ("hardware") and general-purpose processors ("software"), describes memories and buses, illustrates hardware/software tradeoffs using a digital camera example, and discusses advanced computation models, controls systems, chip technologies, and modern design tools. For courses found in EE, CS and other engineering departments.
Customer Reviews:
Very Good Book!!!!!!.......2006-05-12
This books is very good, it tells you the in and out of the embedded system design , from marketing to the design. Very easy to understand. Needs updating on certain protocols.
Book Description
Introduction to Logic Design by Alan Marcovitz is intended for the first course in logic design, taken by computer science, computer engineering, and electrical engineering students. As with the first edition, the new edition is distinguised by a clear presentation of fundamentals and an exceptional collection of examples, solved problems, and exercises. Changes found in the new edition reflect reviewer feedback from both users and nonusers of the first edition and primarily involve improvements in organization and topic coverage.
The text integrates laboratory experiences, both hardware and computer simulation, while not making them mandatory for following the main flow of the chapters. Design is emphasized throughout, and switching algebra is developed as a tool for analyzing and implementing digital systems. The presentation includes excellent coverage of minimization of combinational circuits, including multiple output ones, using the Karnaugh map and iterated consensus. There are a number of examples of the design of larger systems, both combinational and sequential, using medium scale integrated circuits and programmable logic devices.
Customer Reviews:
Excelent Introductory Book on Logic Design.......2006-07-19
This book is written in a clear, practical and readable language, that makes the learning experience a pleasant one. The book is intended to be used as a textbook for a first course in logic design, taken by computer science, computer engineering, and electrical engineering students, but everything is so clearly explained that it could be used as a self study guide.
The book is fully illustrated to make all the examples, solved problems, and exercises even more clear.
I absolutely recommend this book to anyone interested in an introduction to digital design.
Book Description
This classic introduction to philosophy explores the major fields, problems, theories, and personalities of philosophy through the biographies and writing of leading thinkers. Contemporary Applications sections in each chapter show how classic philosophy connects to contemporary issues. Each chapter begins with a biography of a great philosopher, combines simple, clear explanations with short selections from classic texts, and focuses on WHAT the great philosophers said, and WHY they said it. Theory of Knowledge. Philosophy of Science. Ethical Theory. The Ethical Dimensions of Medicine. Social and Political Philosophy. Philosophy of Art. Philosophy of Religion. For anyone interested in Philosophy.
Customer Reviews:
Terrible Text Book for a Beginner.......2006-02-02
This is one of the worst text books I have ever had to read and try to understand. Used this text for an online class -- tough subject to figure out on one's own and the text, laden with the author's opinion and stories, made it difficult to weed out what was important and what was crap. I had to use a different, older Philosophy text book as a guide to understand what Wolf was trying to convey in this text. I thouht I was going to enjoy philosophy--I'm counting the days until I don't have to open this book ever again!
gooses review.......2005-09-05
This book will teach you nothing about philosophy. I would have given this book a negative star review but thats not an option on this grading scale. The most common theme in this book is telling you how philosophers work. they tell you a step by step processes that are oversimplified and can be combined to make less steps or in some cases one step. what is important in philosophy is what the questions are then what the suggested answers are and finally how to understand how to come to the suggested answer.
I would reccomend a book called sophies world which is advertised as a story ( that is really boring ) but is actually a text book that does what I suggested earlier. if you can force yourself to read through sophies world you will actually learn something about philosophy. Anyone who reads this book will notice there is a lot of information that was just added in to make the textbook long enough to be considered a text book. one example is how the book tells us that platos written work is considered a philosophical work as opposed to a work of art. wow how important. another problem is the definition format. instead of explaining a philosophical aspect they just waste the readers time an example of this is aristotles term catharsis which is "a cleansing or purging" the book could have just stated that some people feel plays arouse emotions while others feel they purge emotions and then explained the argument behind both views.
A Professor's Perspective.......2001-09-15
Wolff's perennial textbook, now in its eighth edition, has faults. This is a given for any book or other work in the print medium, and, for that matter, for any human artifact. Nevertheless, after teaching philosophy for thirty-six years using everything from classic sources to newspapers to novels as texts, I have settled on Wolff's About Philosophy as the best means for introducting the most diverse of all academic disciplines.
Naturally, the book reflects the author's interests and preferences, although these are never presented as truths above debate. In fact, Wolff reveals his willingness to revise his own traditional, Western preferences for rationality-based theoretical constructs devised (virtually solely) by those of the male gender. Objectivity, too, comes up for careful scrutiny and, ultimately, rejection as an appropriate property of an acceptable philosophical theory.
In the end, About Philosophy is both a highly personal, and yet, a highly accurate documentation of 2500 years of philosophical speculation and research. Its faults may include that, in spite of its thoroughness and clarity, it does not summarize the views of every philosopher and movement in the Western tradition. No volume, introductory or not, could accomplish this, but the ideas selected by Wolff are clearly among the
germinal springboards for the entirety of Western Civilization.
Student from NY.......2001-07-31
I give such a high rating to cancel out the overly critical opinions of the two other reviews. This book is fine introduction to Western Philosophy with all of the major topics discussed in detail in a way that is very approachable to the beginner with good citations of the major work of each philosopher where appropriate. The others reviewing might suggest their own idea for a text book since they understand so much better than the auther the proper way to teach philosophy to the beginner.
The author is way too opinionated to get anything across........1999-10-09
This is the philosophy textbook that we're using in my Philosophy 101 class... and it's driving me nuts. The author finds a 'favorite philosopher' for each chapter, which is completely annoying if you wish to have any opinion of your own about western philosophy. The information might be complete, but it's extremely difficult trying to cut through the author's views in order to get to that information. The completely unsubtle partiality makes it difficult to learn anything concrete from this book.
Average customer rating:
- John Wilson
- Moderately difficult and very effective
- Readable but a bit rough
- Terrific Book
- Still the best.
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Mathematical Introduction To Logic
Herbert B. Enderton
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ASIN: 0122384520 |
Book Description
A Mathematical Introduction to Logic, Second Edition, offers increased flexibility with topic coverage, allowing for choice in how to utilize the textbook in a course. The author has made this edition more accessible to better meet the needs of today's undergraduate mathematics and philosophy students. It is intended for the reader who has not studied logic previously, but who has some experience in mathematical reasoning. Material is presented on computer science issues such as computational complexity and database queries, with additional coverage of introductory material such as sets.
* Increased flexibility of the text, allowing instructors more choice in how they use the textbook in courses.
* Reduced mathematical rigour to fit the needs of undergraduate students
Customer Reviews:
John Wilson.......2007-07-24
Keen students may find if they study and parse both editions of Enderton's
Logic they may find much of interest. Getting to the root of a problem
can be of use in many situations. So best of luck.
Moderately difficult and very effective.......2006-07-19
This is the most clear book on intermediate level logic that is available. I have many of the logic books that are on its level, and this one is perfect. It covers the most important, difficult concepts in the easiest way possible. It is above all clear (though very terse). It is easier than Mendelson's text but, in my opinion, as it pertains to First Order Logic and Computability Theory, one learns no more through Mendelson's approach.
Perhaps its only problem is that it might be just a bit too difficult without an understanding, helpful instructor (or TA) to guide one through the exercises. At any rate an effective progression up to the book might entail: Patty's "Foundations of Higher Mathematics", to Klenk's "Understanding Symbolic Logic", to "Logic, Sets, and Recursion" by Causey. Only after equivalent material has been understood thoroughly can the more hardcore semantics and mathematics of Enderton's book be fully comprehended. And, gone at alone on one's free time such a progression might take up to 2.5 years, maybe more.
Readable but a bit rough.......2005-07-12
It tries to be a readable undergrad introduction and mostly succeeds. Explanations are generally not tight and memorable, proofs seem loose, there are sometimes gaps in the train of thought, and exercises often require a significant conceptual leap from the preceding text. It was particularly annoying the way he suddenly switched to Polish notation for a while and then just as suddenly dropped it, without any obvious benefit. However, it is more accessible than most mathematical logic texts. The main competition for this text would be Ebbinghaus, which I prefer. The benefits of Enderton over that book are that it covers a wider range of topics and has a lot more exercises.
Terrific Book.......2005-01-03
Enderton's writing is the best I've seen in any introductory math textbook; he is lucid, well organised, comfortably paced but free of expository flab. The exercises (judging from chapters 2 and 3) are not terribly difficult, but quite useful in building one's intuition and connecting logic to other mathematics. I had the book for my Logic class as a first-semester sophomore with very little experience with proofs and no abstract algebra, and found it quite accessible. I guess the book starts off with an advantage, being about a subject as interesting as logic, but that does not seriously detract from its merit.
Still the best........2003-09-22
I review the classic FIRST EDITION. If you buy only one book on mathematical logic, get this one. It's by far the best logic book (see my other reviews) that is both 1)introductory and 2)sufficiently broad in scope and complete. The exposition is very clear and succinct- its suitable for beginners without getting wordy. Enderton always clearly explains what he's doing and why, keeping the reader focused on the big picture while going through the details. He helps to place topics in perspective, and has organized the book so readers can skip some of the more involved proofs and sections on the first reading.
Besides being easy to learn from, it's also the most rigorous introductory book I've seen- a rare combination. The proofs are detailed and complete, instead of the usual hand-waving or leaving everything as an exercise for the reader. There are some weak points in it, but overall you're not going to find a better book. It requires a little more 'mathematical sophistication' than most intro books- but if you've had some logic in a computer science course, or a little combinatorics or abstract algebra you'll be more than ready. Familiarity with automata/computability theory will help you in a few of the sections. Although Enderton is very good, it always helps to get several books on a subject- I'd recommend you pick up cheap copies of Boolos & Jeffrey's _Computability and Logic_ and Smullyan's _First-order logic_ as supplements.
Here is the complete table of contents for the first edition, c1972:
Chapter Zero - USEFUL FACTS ABOUT SETS . . . .1
Chapter One - SENTENTIAL LOGIC/ Informal Remarks on Formal Languages 14 /The Language of Sentential Logic 17/ Induction and Recursion 22/ Truth Assignments 30/ Unique Readability 39/ Sentential Connectives 44/ Switching Circuits 53/ Compactness and Effectiveness 58
Chapter Two - FIRST-ORDER LOGIC/ Preliminary Remarks 65/ First-Order Languages 67/ Truth and Models 79/ Unique Readability 97/ A Deductive Calculus 101/ Soundness and Completeness Theorems 124/ Models of Theories 140/ Interpretations between Theories 154/ Nonstandard Analysis 164
Chapter Three - UNDECIDABILITY/ Number Theory 174/ Natural Numbers with Successor 178/ Other Reducts of Number Theory 184/ A Subtheory of Number Theory 193/ Arithmetization of Syntax 217/ Incompleteness and Undecidability 227/ Applications to Set Theory 239/ Representing Exponentiation 245/ Recursive Functions 251
Chapter Four - SECOND-ORDER LOGIC/ Second-Order Languages 268/ Skolem Functions 274/ Many-Sorted Logic 277/ General Structures 281
Index 291
Book Description
This classic work on critical thinking--now fully updated and revised--uses a novel approach to teach the basics of informal logic. On the assumption that "it takes one to know one," the authors have written the book from the point of view of someone who wishes to deceive, mislead, or manipulate others. Having mastered the art of deception, readers will then be able to detect the misuse or abuse of logic when they encounter it in others--whether in a heated political debate or while trying to evaluate the claims of a persuasive sales person.
Using a host of real-world examples, the authors show you how to win an argument, defend a case, recognize a fallacy, see through deception, persuade a skeptic, and turn defeat into victory. Not only do they discuss the fundamentals of logic (premises, conclusions, syllogisms, common fallacies, etc.), but they also consider important related issues often encountered in face-to-face debates, such as gaining a sympathetic audience, responding to audience reaction, using nonverbal devices, clearly presenting the facts, refutation, and driving home a concluding argument.
Whether you're preparing for law school or you just want to become more adept at making your points and analyzing others' arguments, The Art of Deception will give you the intellectual tools to become a more effective thinker and speaker. Helpful exercises and discussion questions are also included.
Customer Reviews:
Incredible book,incredible review.......2005-06-08
Exactly as Dr. Schweinsberg said. This text was a magnificent accomplishment. Reading some of the reviews, I was dismayed. I of course believed that there was some sort of miscommunication, or perhaps that the readers knew nothing of the subject, or that they simply didn't know what they were getting when they purchased the book. Whatever the case, I would suggest to anybody to read Dr. Michel Schweinsberg's brilliant review. His comical yet serious review offers advice to the argumentation student in words I can't achieve. With a playful attitude, he has delivered valuable information in the same spirit with which one should "weild" the tools in the text; that is, as a serious weapon, but done mostly for enjoyment and clarity of thought. READ DR. SCHWEINSBERG'S REVIEW, AND FOLLOW HIS ADVICE!
Argue Well.......2005-05-25
If you have ever been told that your arguments lack facts, structure, or logic, then this book is for you. Learning the skills to challenge and defend anything and everything is an art indeed. Highly recommend it for partisan zealots.
PenetratingArmenian
A Self Certified Blogspot Blogger
Good idea poor execution.......2004-07-14
The book mainly promotes the use of deception over reason. I know you're thinking, duh. But this is contrary to what the author says in the introduction. The deception is supposed to be used as a device to aid in learning informal logic, not as a tool to crush others. The author has a very aggressive and pretentious tone. Capaldi, the author, encourages people to be stubborn and uncompromising rather than problem solving. This book is classic sophism. I think the most valuable part of this book is the appendix. The practice problems are nice to look over. This book is effective at being uncompromising, but that is incompatible with being a good communicator. I should have borrowed this one. Since, I want my money back. -laughs- Also, the references to the "Great Books" by the author were interesting, but extraneous in my opinion.
Good Weapon Against the Trogs.......2004-04-22
The techniques outlined in this book are good when you are arguing against yahoos and troglodytes. If taken to heart, this book can help you can vanquish almost everyone you encounter in day-to-day life. Do NOT use these techniques against more skillful opponents or against sincere, intelligent questioners seeking real answers to important questions. These are powerful debater's tricks, not tools for getting to the bottom of honest inquiries. Caveat emptor.
Good Intentions, Faulty Execution.......2004-03-19
I appreciate what the author was trying to do: teach logic and rhetoric in a fun how-to-succeed format. I don't think it works very well, though. It's too disjointed to be helpful to the beginner and too familiar to be interesting to more advanced students.
For the beginner: To learn logic, start out with David Kelley's "The Art of Reasoning" and Irving Copi's "Introduction to Logic". To learn rhetoric and argumentation, try David Zarefsky's audiotape course on "Argumentation: The Study of Effective Reasoning" and his books on public speaking.
More advanced students will want to check out Chaim Perelman's books on rhetoric and Douglas N. Walton's studies of informal fallacies. An excellent but out-of-print book is William J. Brandt's "The Rhetoric of Argumentation" which gives detailed analyses of effective and ineffective rhetorical strategies in essay-writing.
Book Description
Introduction to Logic offers one of the most clear, interesting and accessible introductions to what has long been considered one of the most challenging subjects in philosophy. Harry Gensler engages readers with the basics of logic through practical examples and important arguments in the history of philosophy and from contemporary philosophy. Using simpler and manageable methods for testing arguments, readers are led through in a careful step-by-step way to master the complexities of logic.
Customer Reviews:
Gensler's Intro to Logic.......2007-10-07
I knew nothing of logic before purchasing this book, and it has definitely helped me dive into the subject. The book offers easy-to-learn methods for testing the validity of syllogisms, as well as ideas on how to create an accurate formula for a logical statement. Overall, Gensler's book is a very helpful introduction to logic.
A Solid Textbook.......2006-06-22
I really enjoyed this logic textbook. It's biggest benifit is its coverage of belief logic, deontic logic, modal logic, and so on... It is amazing how much is in this book. The Logicola software that comes with this book is pretty good as well, however it is very primative looking.
Now here is the catch: I liked the book because it used interesting philosophical examples for its logic problems, however my introductory level students often found themselves lost in the philosophy-speak and unable to do the logic. The book might be best for an introductory text for philosophy majors.
What a great book!.......2005-09-30
I've never had an easier, yet more rigorous, introduction to logic. From the start, the author engages you in interesting explanations which are very clear. The Logicola software is great as well, which without, I would not have understood the material as good as I do now. It's only been 4 days and I'm already on chapter 4, having done EVERY problem in the book so far and many on the software! For self study, there is no better.
Exceptional guide to logic for philosophy students.......2005-05-18
I agree with the other reviewers of this text that it is the best I've encountered (I have taught several different sections of logic over nearly ten years, using 6 or 7 different texts, and have reviewed countless others). The writing is admirably clear and precise, and reads well. Nothing extraneous here, but there is enough to elucidate ideas and strategies. There are two key features that distinguish this text from others, and render it extremely valuable.
(1) the examples and logic problems are INTERESTING, mostly because they are invariably drawn from philosophical arguments; this gives me an opportunity to tie the teaching of logic to discussion of philosophy and makes the relevance of logic to philosophy very clear; I often find students who are interested in philosophy because they have read existentialism or even Plato, and who appreciate the play of ideas they find in these texts; what they do not understand is that the poetry of ideas must be tied to logic, and, more importantly, that there is a kind of poetic rigor to logic; this text helps to make that clear.
(2) Gensler has developed a remarkably simple set of strategies for proof construction, that eliminates much of the confusion and ambiguity that students experience when encountering proofs for the first time; his "star test" for testing syllogisms is excellent, and a cinch to apply; it is even easier to grasp than Venn diagrams and is more versatile; his strategy for proofs in propositional and predicate logic is the best and easiest I've seen anywhere, and combines the merits of truth trees with standard deductive proofs, and has the advantage of yielding both proofs of validity and refutations by the very same method. The ease of the strategy means that it is possible to move much further in a single semester than usual. The content of the book goes further, too, than many of the standard textbooks. He goes into modal logic, belief logic, deontic logic and even has a chapter presenting a formalized ethical theory. Very cool stuff!!
(3) The only weakness I have found is in his explanation of translations; where he is very helpful and precise with strategies for producing proofs and refutations, his guidelines for producing translations into formal symbolism are a bit more vague and amount to only a few guidelines and a bit of hand waving. Still, even here I haven't seen much better elsewhere, so this is a minor quibble. In the context of my classroom, it just meant that this was something we spent more time on.
I really can't recommend this book highly enough for those who are interested in logic.
Elegant, Concise, Clear as Crystal.......2004-12-08
This is the best introductory book on symbolic logic I have seen. It covers not only propositional and predicate logic, but also modal, deontic, and inductive (probabilistic) logic, and it does so with remarkable clarity and economy. Professor Gensler's proof method differs slightly from those in most textbooks, but I find it more intuitive and therefore more useful. His examples are drawn from everyday life and from arguments of the great philosophers. His exercises are well designed, too. And at one-third the cost of most other (and much inferior) textbooks, this book is a great bargain.
I am not sure what the previous reviewer was referring to in his complaint about the lack of an index. This edition contains an index to proper names, while the excellent glossary of logic terms also functions as an index by listing the section numbers where each term is defined and discussed.
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