Cover Image: The Art of Logic in an Illogical World

The Art of Logic in an Illogical World

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Member Reviews

Informative book, even though i wish it would have focused a bit more on helping someone that is struggling with the illogical choices and moments all around someone that seems to be more logical than most people around them.

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THE ART OF LOGIC IN AN ILLOGICAL WORLD by Eugenia Cheng is potentially an important book in a world filled with "alternative facts." Dividing her book into three sections (The Power of Logic, The Limits of Logic and Beyond Logic), Cheng uses drawings (like fractal trees and Venn diagrams) and carefully chosen examples to instruct her readers. She explores blame and responsibility and also asserts "Verifying truth and conveying truth are two different things." Refreshingly, Cheng writes about how to formulate arguments and to appreciate another's point of view: "Admitting the possibility of being wrong and having ways to detect it is an important part of being a rational human being, I am sure. (But I could be wrong.)" She cleverly causes her readers to pause and contemplate the points she is making, although the text as a whole seems written primarily for mathematical aficionados or those with some academic background. For example, in a section titled "trial by jury," she provides more of a discussion on peer review than on courtroom behavior. Overall, the text is probably too complicated for most of our high school students, although it could prompt discussion in college classes on the basics of logic.

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The author provided information on how we need to provide more clarity in our interactions. She also went into detail as to how the current methods of teaching math are creating a math phobia and how they are not an ideal method of teaching. Very insightful book.

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