Reviews (3)

The ONLY college textbook that I STILL READ!
After being given the assignment(s) to read and execute the assigned problem sets in WITH GOOD REASON, I decided that this text ALONE was worth all of the thousands upon thousands of dollars I spent on my college education. It changed my life! No longer did I flounder trying to support my 'intuitive' ideas about life, I was now armed (and considerably more dangerous -- ie: effective) with the tools of discernment, brilliantly illuminated by Dr. Engel.
A good intro book
Engel begins this book with a general discussion about what logic and argument are/aren't, and about how language impacts the manner in which arguments are formed and understood. He then delves into the informal fallacies, which he divides into three categories: (1) fallacies of ambiguity, which seem to be more misuse/abuse of language than actual fallacies of logic; (2) fallacies of presumption (e.g., hasty generalization, begging the question, slippery slope); and (3) fallacies of relevance (e.g., ad hominem, appeal to authority). The best book about good vs. unfair rhetoric I've seen.
I collect books about fallacies.With Good Reason is definitely the best of the 32 such books I've accumulated so far.His explanations are very clear, and he covers important subject matter ignored by other authors,such as fallacies caused by vagueness and ambiguity. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fallacies (Logic)    2. General    3. Logic    4. Philosophy    5. Reference   

Subjects:  1. Constructibility (Set theory)    2. Large cardinals (Mathematics)    3. Logic    4. Mathematics    5. Medical    6. Set Theory    7. Mathematical logic   

Reviews (5)

A classic exposition of ZFC
Mathematics is a first order theory whose primitive formulae
Still interesting...and still important.
One does not hear about set theory too much these days, no doubt due to the de-emphasis of foundational discussions in mathematics. Foundational questions of course were the focus of much attention in mathematics in the early twentieth century, this taking place because of the many paradoxes in set theory and due to the influence of the philosophers. Set theory, the theory of types, and mathematical logic are still very important though in computer science and in artificial intelligence, due to the needs in these fields for knowledge representation, computational models of intelligence, and automated reasoning. This book could serve to introduce these topics or as an historical reference to the issues as they were hotly debated in the last century. Decent intro book.
This is a basic introduction to axiomatic set theory. You dont need much experience with informal set theory or formal logic to begin it. The book is rigorous and follows a definition - theorem - proof format, broken with clear exposition and historical notes. Enough formal mathematical logic is introduced only to express the axioms (that is, formal proof systems are not used or discussed). He uses the ZF (Zermelo/Fraenkel) system and gives footnote comparisons to the NBG (von Neumann/Bernays/Godel) system. In chapter 4 he introduces a special axiom (outside of ZF) to simplify the development of cardinal numbers, and this involves the addition of a new primitive notion. All theorems relying on this special axiom are clearly marked. While this admirably allows Suppes to avoid employing the axiom of choice or taking the extra time needed to develop cardinals strictly within ZF, it may annoy some readers. In chapter 6 he gives a detailed construction of the rational numbers and the real numbers (using Cauchy sequences). He uses only the axiom of separation until the axiom of replacement becomes necessary. He does a good job explaining why each axiom is needed and how it arose historically. The book is comparable to Monk's _Introduction to Set Theory_, though a little easier and less advanced. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Axiomatic set theory    2. Logic    3. Mathematics    4. Mathematics / General    5. Set theory   

Reviews (3)

Fun Math
We used this in my college Math course, and it actually had me pretty addicted to math for a while!We only used selected chapters, but those we used were easy to navigate, even somewhat fun to read, and the math really was practical (ex.-- fair division problems, helping you solve everything from the division of your estate to how to fairly divide a piece of pie!).

A nightmare
The editor of this book should be fired. In my entire educational experience, I have never used such an unacceptable text. The book is filled with errors... more than the four page list of corrections provided by the publisher can even cover. Many of the solutions provided are incorrect, and illustrations which correspond to the text are often found on different pages than the pertaining text. More frustration than it is worth, especially if used for a distance education course. Forget it!

It works.
My teacher for this class seemed to think that it is vague in parts, and a bit wordy.Regardless, for the concepts it covers, it is effective. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Logic    3. Mathematical readiness    4. Mathematics    5. Science/Mathematics   

Reviews (8)

Some Quick Math for Potential Buyers
Here is some math for customers considering this book.There are 7 reviews preceeding mine.5 are right.2 are wrong.
Captivating subject, casual approach
I [heart] Ms. Cresswell's premise: relationships and sex are approachable through mathematics. However, her approach leaves me either wanting more mathematics or a more formal voice. She doesn't skimp on the formulaic jargon, but does skimp on its explanation. You're teasing us Clio! Don't be so coy. If you're going to show us the nuts and bolts of how math can uncover the secrets of relationships and sex, then show us the full monty, and give me the details. Need the info. Yeah. Anyway, the "number of 'bonks' to successful pair bonding" tip is worth the price of admission alone but there are other insightful and perhaps instructional tips hidden in this work as well.

Doesn't quite work
How do you make maths sexy?Write a book about maths and sex!Trouble is, this book doesn't quite work.If you are already heavily immersed in maths and mathematical modelling, then here are some thought-provoking models that can amusingly be applied to sex.However, anyone unmathematical will see this as simply turning life experiences into a set of gobbledygook equations that add nothing to understanding, and reinforce lots of negative stereotypes about geeky maths.
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Subjects:  1. Family & Relationships    2. Family/Marriage    3. Game Theory    4. Logic    5. Love & Romance    6. Love / Sex / Marriage    7. Mathematical And Symbolic Logic    8. Mathematical models    9. Sex    10. Social Institutions    11. Marriage, family & other relationships    12. Mathematics / Game Theory   

Subjects:  1. Logic    2. Mathematical And Symbolic Logic    3. Mathematics    4. Philosophy Of Mathematics    5. Predicate calculus    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Mathematical logic    8. Philosophy / General   

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    2. Computer Programming Languages    3. Computers    4. Computers - Languages / Programming    5. Discrete Mathematics    6. Programming - General    7. Programming Languages - General    8. Programming languages (Electro    9. Programming languages (Electronic computers)    10. Science/Mathematics    11. Type theory    12. Computers / Programming / Software Development    13. Mathematical logic    14. Mathematical theory of computation   

Reviews (2)

Good book on boolean algebra and logic for more advanced students
This book is devoted to two separate and related topics: the theory of Boolean algebra and logic and also the synthesis and simplification of switching and logic circuits. This is a good book for students taking a course on digital logic that has more of a computer science or mathematics perspective rather than an electrical engineering viewpoint. There is no mention of gates or digital circuit building blocks of any kind in this outline.The treatment of switching and logic circuits is limited to the combinational circuits - those circuits whose outputs depend only on the present inputs.
digital designers can find useful problems
For those of you inclined to the theoretical aspects of computing, this book may be good revision. The first half of the book deals with set theory and then with Boolean algebra. The Boolean concepts should be easy to follow, and likewise with the problems presented to you here.
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Subjects:  1. Algebra - Boolean    2. Algebra - General    3. Algebra, Boolean    4. Discrete Mathematics    5. Mathematics    6. Outlines, syllabi, etc    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Study Guides    9. Switching theory    10. Mathematical logic    11. Mathematics / Algebra / General    12. Mathematics for scientists & engineers   

Subjects:  1. Logic    2. Philosophy    3. Epistemology, theory of knowledge    4. Mathematical logic    5. Philosophy / Logic    6. Philosophy of mathematics    7. Philosophy | Logic & Mathematics   

Reviews (1)

mandible mantle bull
This book provides a decent but fairly minimal introductory survey of various nonclassical *propositional* logics. (In other words, no quantification theory here.) Priest covers conditional logics, relevant (relevance) logics, paraconsistent logics, fuzzy logic, many-valued logics (e.g. Kleene 4-valued), and others.
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Subjects:  1. General    2. Logic    3. Mathematical And Symbolic Logic    4. Mathematics    5. Nonclassical mathematical logi    6. Nonclassical mathematical logic    7. Philosophy    8. Philosophy Of Mathematics    9. Philosophy / General   

Reviews (1)

Important Contribution to Modern Epistemology
The 20th century saw more advances in knowledge than could filter down to general society. Relativity and Quantum Theory are part of the vernacular, even if the popular conceptions are not necessarily good generalizations of their counterparts in science. The corresponding advances in philosophy, however, have stayed more in the province of academia, largely because philosophy itself has become highly technical; but the physics of beyond-everyday-experience have demanded these advances, primarily in epistemology, because the fundamental questions of science today are of meaning and understanding.Read more

Subjects:  1. Infinity    2. Logic    3. Mathematics    4. Philosophy Of Mathematics    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Metaphysics & ontology    7. Philosophy / General    8. Set theory   

Reviews (2)

An Excellent Book
This book is now being used at the university I attend for a Data Analysis Course.The examples provided were used as projects for out class.I learned a lot about real world problems that can be solved and modeled using statistics. reasonably priced intro to math stat using labs
I took my introductory mathematical statistics course from Brad Efron and Charles Stein at Stanford. It gave me a strong foundation and understanding of decision theory, hypothesis testing and the power of exponential families of distributions. Although I understood the Neyman - Pearson theory of hypothesis testing and confidence intervals, I was not completely comfortable applying what I had learn when confronted with real problems. Students even at the best universities in the US still need consulting experience before they are comfortable with the tools they learn. Read more

Subjects:  1. Mathematical Statistics    2. Mathematics    3. Probability & Statistics - General    4. Science/Mathematics    5. Applied mathematics    6. Mathematical logic    7. Mathematics / Statistics    8. Probability & statistics   

Reviews (2)

sausage flambe because winter bites
I cannot speak for the other reviewer because I do not share his criticism of the book--a book I find to be excellent but obviously no replacement for Kleene's "Introduction to Metamathematics". It certainly is introductory since the basics of both propositional and predicate logic, and formal number theory are covered. The only part that is not especially easy to follow are the results related to the completeness theorem (e.g. Gentzen's "sharpened" Hauptsatz and Herbrand's theorem).
Not for the autodidact
Ten years ago, I took an undergraduate course in symbolic logic.Wishing recently to refresh my (extremely rusty) memories of the propositional calculus and the first-order predicate calculus, I picked up this meaty text and was extremely dismayed to find myself soundly defeated within the first few pages.Kleene does not even make a pretense of holding the reader's hand:either you get it or you don't.There is nothing even remotely "user-friendly" about this book's presentation of its material.Read more

Subjects:  1. Logic    2. Logic, Symbolic and mathematic    3. Logic, Symbolic and mathematical    4. Mathematics    5. Philosophy    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Mathematics / General   

Subjects:  1. General    2. Logic    3. Mathematics    4. Proof theory    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Mathematical logic    7. Mathematics / General    8. Mathematics | Probability & Statistics   

Reviews (1)

OK but Hard
You'll find this very hard unless you are a competent math major at one of the better universities. Similar to Elliot Mendelson's text, but not quite as good. Good chapter on Boolean algebra as aRead more

Subjects:  1. Logic    2. Logic, Symbolic and mathematic    3. Logic, Symbolic and mathematical    4. Mathematics    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Mathematical logic    7. Mathematics / Logic    8. Mathematics | Logic   

Reviews (4)

Fascinating as both a 'History of Ideas' and as biographical sketches
A truly excellent book. Both as a 'history of ideas' and in its consideration of the personal trials and tribulations faced by Leibniz, Frege, Boole, Hilbert, Cantor, Godel, and Turing. The book traces the development of the computer through the life and work of these logicians/mathematicians, from Leibniz's dream of a language of symbolic logic and a machine capable of producing and testing true propositions in that language. This book is relevant not only to philosophers, mathematicians, and computer scientists, but to writers who seek understanding of the relations between language and logic in the contemporary electronic landscape. It will also be a good read for anyone wishing to understand the intellectual atmospheres from which the computer arose.
Limits in computers
It may be initially hard to connect Leibniz's series or George Cantor's quest for infinite numbers to the modern computer, butDr. Davis does a masterful job of showing this logical progression.The progression continues to Godel and Turing, and from Turing to the modern computer. Paperback edition of "The Universal Computer"
This book has deservedly been reviewed in glowing 5-star terms in its hardcover version ("The Universal Computer"). This paperback edition is the same book. If you want to understand the ideas behind computers, this is the book for you! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Science    2. Computers - General Information    3. Discrete Mathematics    4. General    5. History    6. History & Philosophy    7. Science    8. Science/Mathematics    9. Mathematical logic    10. Mathematical theory of computation    11. Popular science   

Reviews (2)

Love The Paper It's Printed On - It's a Paperback Hardback
It took only buying a couple of bad Sudoku books to find out what makes up a good one and this one has it!!! I will tell you the only bad thing I found in the book before I go onto the good stuff. If you noticed, though, I still gave it five stars, it's that good!!! I didn't like the fact it told you to guess in the instructions portion of the book. I think that's really bad advice for this type of puzzle. I can understand this advice for a crossword puzzle, but for a Sudoku puzzle, c'mon, Mr. Riley, really now. I love, love, absolutely love everything else about this Sudoku book. The paper the puzzles were printed on was right on. When you get into the more difficult puzzles you need to erase all the little clues you pencil in. If you find a book printed on newsprint, it's not worth the paper it was printed on and I mean that literally. This book has a very thick piece of cardboard in the back and opens from top to bottom like a steno notebook instead of from the side which makes it very easy to work on them anywhere even on the go. I also liked that it has some written instructions on how to solve Sudoku's unlike other books. Good job, Mr. Riley. I will definitely to an Author search on Amazon and buy more Sudoku books from you!!!

Super Sodoku made it easy to learn
This book helped me learn basic Sodoku techniques, so I went from beginner to intermediate within 2 weeks.I recommend it for anyone who is looking for strategies.The book's puzzles do get more challenging.Having the easy puzzles at first lets you build confidence, and then you move on to the more difficult. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Games    2. Games / Gamebooks / Crosswords    3. Games/Puzzles    4. Logic & Brain Teasers    5. Sudoku    6. Mathematics / Logic    7. Mathematical recreations    8. Logic puzzles   

Reviews (2)

Written for teachers, not students
Do textbook authors ever consider how *students* will view their books?I doubt it.It seems to be a consist idea that textbooks -- including and exemplified by this one -- are written by teachers, for teachers, with little regard for students.Just read the product description to see what I mean: "goal-oriented pedagogy", "consistant pedagogical use of color", "enhances student motivation" -- these are items focused to receive acclaim by other teachers.
Finite math blah
This was an alright book for finite math.The book did contain real examples (a positive) along with tons of formulas that I'm not sure that I'll ever see again.The probability stuff was good from this book, butsome of the explanations were lacking clarity.Some of the topics include:Finance, linear programming of the simplex method and geometric approach, graphs, trees, counting, statistics along with relations and functions. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business Mathematics    2. Finite Mathematics    3. Mathematics    4. Probability & Statistics - General    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Social sciences    7. Linear algebra    8. Mathematical logic    9. Mathematics / Finite Mathematics    10. Mathematics for scientists & engineers    11. Probability & statistics   

Reviews (1)

Oldie But Goodie
I first read this book in 1972 for a college course in the Philosophy of Mathematics. I was a philosophy major, mainly because I thought I was no good at math. By the end of the first chapter, I understood geometry for the first time. By the end of the second chapter, I was hooked. Mathematics has been a favorite hobby and occupation ever since.
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Subjects:  1. General    2. Logic    3. Mathematics    4. Science/Mathematics    5. Philosophy / Logic   

Subjects:  1. Artificial Intelligence - General    2. Automatic theorem proving    3. Computer Bks - General Information    4. Computer Books: General    5. Computers    6. Computers - General Information    7. General    8. Logic, Symbolic and mathematic    9. Logic, Symbolic and mathematical    10. Computers / General    11. Mathematical logic