AnyBook4Less.com	Find the Best Price on the Web Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Home  |  Store List  |  FAQ  |  Contact Us  |
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money Keyword AuthorISBN

Title: The Art of Deception: An Introduction to Critical Thinking: How to: Win an Argument, Defend a Case, Recognize a Fallacy, See Through a Deception, by Nicholas Capaldi ISBN: 0-87975-424-9 Publisher: Prometheus Books Pub. Date: December, 1987 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $21.00

Your Country USA Canada United Kingdom Australia Austria Belgium France Germany Italy Netherlands Switzerland Currency AutoUSD CAD GBP EUR AUD CHF Delivery Only cheapest delivery All delivery options Include Used Books Are you a club member of: Barnes and Noble Books A Million Chapters.Indigo.ca

Average Customer Rating: 3.28 (18 reviews)

Rating: 2
Summary: Weak Intro to Critical Thinking
Comment: I would like to second the reviews by Mr. Patten and Mr. Gorman. "The Art of Deception" is itself deceptively titled. The author takes a pseudo-Machiavellian tack and tries to promote elementary critical thinking skills in the guise of a handbook for unscrupulous debaters. Cute idea, but it sort of defeats itself. Sadly, it could actually be used as a handbook for the unscrupulous--and probably has been. And, as others have pointed out, the book is alternately sketchy and tedious. I, too, would have been baffled by several discussions in the book if I hadn't already taken several college courses in logic and rhetoric.

For a much better book on this subject, read Howard Kahane's "Logic and Contemporary Rhetoric".

Rating: 4
Summary: Good Place To Start!
Comment: This book is written for the amateur student of logic and rhetoric (Like Me). Mr. Capaldi is very good at not only showing what to do, but perhaps more importantly what not to do in a debate. He doesn't hold-up the pretense of being soley acedemic. For Example, he instructs the reader never to give up while in a debate, I.E., admit that you're wrong. This book is filled with what could be called Real World Debating Advice. He shows how to avoid sophism and fallacy, and teaches the Latin Words for these arguments, because he says, they make you sound better.
My only complaint with the book is that in the attempt to teach good arguments by showing bad ones he might encourage a disreputable and unscrupulous person to use them to their advantage. It's like those Head-Shops that sell Bongs for "Tobacco Use Only" when everyone knows what they're really for. Oh Well.
I also particulary liked the evaluation at the back of the book to see how well you've learned.

I'd Recommend it, but it should be supplemented with other books on this topic.

Dustin

Rating: 3
Summary: Good Points; Somewhat Disjointed
Comment: Ironically, this book's TITLE can be deceptive to the unsuspecting reader. This book does not attempt to extoll the virtues of deception or dispense Machiavellian thought to the masses. Instead, the book is meant as a comprehensive guide to the finer points or argumentation and debate.

A persevering reader may leave this book with a deeper appreciation for the art of argumentation. Unfortunately, I do not believe that the same holds true for the average reader. A few interesting points are left scattered in a book that is often too long and too confusing.

I would imagine that this book would appeal to logicians, philosophers, and lawyers who have labored in the fields of logic, debate, and argumentation throughout the majority of their adult lives. But for others who would like to become more eloquent speakers, I recommend that you look elsewhere.

Similar Books:

	Title: A Rulebook for Arguments by Anthony Weston ISBN: 0872205525 Publisher: Hackett Publishing Co. Pub. Date: January, 2001 List Price(USD): $5.95
	Title: Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking (6th Edition) by M. Neil Browne, Stuart M. Keeley ISBN: 0130891347 Publisher: Prentice Hall Pub. Date: 05 July, 2000 List Price(USD): $28.00
	Title: Think to Win: The Power of Logic in Everyday Life by S. Cannavo ISBN: 1573922110 Publisher: Prometheus Books Pub. Date: May, 1998 List Price(USD): $21.00
	Title: Attacking Faulty Reasoning: A Practical Guide to Fallacy-Free Arguments by T. Edward Damer ISBN: 0534551335 Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing Pub. Date: 14 June, 2000 List Price(USD): $45.95
	Title: Thinking from A to Z by Nigel Warburton ISBN: 0415222818 Publisher: Routledge Pub. Date: June, 2000 List Price(USD): $14.95