Logic For Dummies
Mark Zegarelli
For Dummies
If you're a certain breed of nerd/geek (e.g., me), there's always a longing to nail down "logic" so as to better evaluate statements and arguments that one comes across in books, on blogs and webboards, etc.

In an attempt to fulfill this longing, I have purchased several introductory texts on logic in the past, which were somewhat helpful. However, I noticed gaps in the material presented in these books that made it difficult to make it all the way through. It seemed the material wasn't dumbed down enough.

Enter Logic for Dummies.

This is the most readable introductory-level book on logic I've read to date. In typical Dummies fashion, few paragraphs in the book exceed more than three or four sentences and the author is always indicating how the current material builds on what has already come and how it leads to what will eventually follow.

The focus in Logic for Dummies is sentential logic and quantifier logic - formal/symbolic logic. So if you're looking for a book on informal logic, this book is not it. You'll have to go elsewhere for that.

Despite my generally positive review, it should be pointed out that if you don't have a mathematical-oriented mind and a strong enthusiasm for the subject matter, chances are you won't make it through this book. Formal/symbolic logic is not for the faint of heart. But even so, this book may be useful as a handy reference for such folks.