The Power of Logic

by C. Stephen Layman

Book Overview

The Power of Logic renders balanced coverage of informal and formal logic in concise, accurate, and lively prose, making it the most accessible introductory logic text available. The text's plentiful... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0072875879
• ISBN13: 9780072875874
• Release Date: February 2004
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Langua
• Length: 598 Pages
• Weight: 2.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.6" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

An Excellent Introductory Text

A while back, I had used this text for a course in Logic. The best thing about it was that the material was explained and illustrated so well that one can learn from this book without going to the classroom! This doesn't mean that someone should just read and move on; the problems given in this text are still critical to understanding and applying Logic. There's even an answer key for some of the problems, so one can check their own work! In addition, the skills that one can develop using this text are also transferrable - especially for those that are learning Programming. All in all, I'd recommend this text for anybody who needs an understanding of Logic, whether it be for a class or a profession. If one has an interest in more advanced concepts of Logic (e.g. - Counterfactuals), however, this book is not for you.

Probability is the Very Guide of Life

This is *such* a good book. When I reviewed the MS for the publisher, the copy I had included a chapter on modal logic which did not make it into the First Edition. I hope it makes it into later additions. Being a thoroughgoing probablist, I especially appreciated the chapter on probability theory. Given the widespread use of probability theory in contemporary analytic philosophy, there's almost no excuse for a philosophy program to use any other book for philosophy majors (except, of course, _Socratic Logic_).

Great Book

I took an intro philosophy class at Texas A & M University and this was the book that I was required to buy. I thought this book was great. I really like that it had the problems online (if not all of them a majority of them). It was nice to be able to work out the problems from the book and then go online and type them in to see what you were doing right or what was wrong with you answer. It gave clear examples and was easy to understand.

Layman Succeeds in Most Areas

I found this book highly insightful and would recommend it for any philosophy/logic course in higher education. I did find that the online companion []slightly grating in its' acceptance of certain grammar and punctuation. This aside, I would recommend the book as a whole to anyone interested. It runs the gamut from formal to informal, and adds mighty descriptors of the information along the way. One point deduction for the companion site functionality that this book uses. The book by itself is easy to grasp with enough toughies to keep the average logic student going. I highly recommend it.

an excellent introductory logic textbook

As a college philosophy teacher I have tried many textbooks for teaching informal logic. I am very happy with this book. It presents the material thoroughly and clearly and has tons of useful exercises. I don't need the chapters on symbolic logic for the course I teach, but the material on informal and Aristotelian logic is working very nicely. The publisher maintains an interactive website with additional exercises and review material for students. My students use it and appreciate it.