Truth, Knowledge, Or Just Plain Bull: How To Tell The Difference : A Handbook of Practical Logic and Clear Thinking

ISBN-10: 1615922180
ISBN-13: 9781615922185
Category: Philosophy
Pages: 363
Language: English
Published: 2009-12-02
Publisher: Prometheus Books
Author: Bernard M. Patten

Description

A Handbook of Practical Logic and Clear ThinkingIn lively, straightforward prose, Patten lays out some general principles of clear thinking . . . then, chapter by chapter, examines various forms of false reasoning to which we might fall victim . . . Patten doesn't minimize the mental effort required to master clear thinking, but his own clear writing and down-to-earth tone make it as painless as it can be to strengthen your ability to reason and see the faults in the reasoning of others. - Publishers WeeklyWant to sort out the claims of experts, pseudo-experts, scam artists, and liars alike? Want to protect yourself from the dangers of the ubiquitous nonsense and outright frauds that assault you from every side? Want to become acquainted with the pleasurable activity of discovering truth while enhancing your sophistication as a thinker?In this erudite yet entertaining handbook on critical thinking, Dr. Bernard M. Patten uses neuroscience, psychology, and psychiatry to teach you to do all this and more. He shows you that clear thinking is not just fun but also keeps you out of trouble, makes you more efficient, helps you develop and maintain prosperity, and generally gives you an edge in both your personal and business life.A Board Certified neurologist and a lecturer in formal, informal, and symbolic logic at Rice University, Dr. Patten has the scientific background as well as the philosophical training to give readers the most reliable and current information on how the brain thinks, learns, and remembers. By means of multiple (and sometimes startling) contemporary examples and insights, the author exercises your mind as an exercise machine might exercise your muscles. Each exercise is specifically formulated with the neuropsychology of learning in mind (repetition, tied association, visual images, distribution of tasks in time, modularity, etc.), so the reader acquires valuable knowledge quickly and painlessly.Emphasizing practical usefulness in real-life situations and evidence-based analysis, Dr. Patten examines:?investment frauds and other scams'groupthink'the psychology of belief'content analysis'hidden meanings'negotiation strategiesHe also gives careful attention to the rules of clear thinking, discusses the reality principle, explains inductive and deductive logic, exposes traditional fallacies, and elucidates truth tables, syllogisms, and symbolic logic.Fast, fact-filled, and fun, this superb self-help guide to better thinking teaches you to take control of your own destiny by accurately determining the truth value of statements and behaviors in many contexts.Bernard M. Patten, M.D., now retired, was formerly the chief of the Neuromuscular Disease Division, vice chairman of the Department of Neurology, and attending neurologist at the Baylor College of Medicine. He now lectures in clear thinking, mental gymnastics, logic, and neuroscience at Rice University and the Women's Institute of Houston. He is the author of The Logic of Alice: Clear Thinking in Wonderland; Truth, Knowledge, or Just Plain Bull: How to Tell the Difference; and Cruising on the Queen Elizabeth 2: Around the World in 91 Days.

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