Being Logical by Dq Mcinerny

Being Logical by Dq Mcinerny

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 Logicalbreaks logic down to its essentials through clear analysis, accessible examples, and focused insights. D. Q. McInerney covers the sources of illogical thinking, from naive optimism to narrow-mindedness, before dissecting the various tactics-red herrings, diversions, and simplistic reasoning-the illogical use in place of effective reasoning.

An indispensable guide to using logic to advantage in everyday life, this is a concise, crisply readable book. Written explicitly for the layperson, McInerny'sBeing Logicalpromises to take its place beside Strunk and White'sThe Elements of Styleas 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 but it, but read it."
-Charles Osgood

D.Q.McInerny has been teaching logic to undergraduate students at Notre Dame, the University of Kentucky, and Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Lincoln, Nebraska, for decades. Professor McInerny lives in Lincoln, Nebraska, and is a Thomas Merton scholar with two PhDs.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780812971156
ISBN 10	0812971159
Title	Being Logical
Author	Dq Mcinerny
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Random House USA Inc
Year published	2005-05-10
Number of pages	160
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.