Sweet Reason pulls off the impossible: it provides a fun-to-read but also competent introduction to logic. Students in any discipline will find the text to be an intriguing first course in logical theory.
J.C. Beall, University of Connecticut and University of Otago
Introductory logic books are a dime a dozen. But this one's different. No, really. With a unique combination of philosophical nous, paradox, humor, and - often provocative - exercises, it teaches the elements of both formal logic and critical reasoning. And it shows logic as a living, breathing, evolving, stimulating, subject. If you don't want to get interested in logic, don't use this book.
Graham Priest, City University of New York Graduate Center
This extraordinary book, refined over the years in a very successful course at Smith College, is unique in scope among introductory logic texts, beginning with critical thinking, moving through a first-rate treatment of standard propositional and predicate logic, and introducing students along the way to a variety of more advanced topics, including modal logic, many-valued logics, set theory, cardinal and ordinal arithmetic, the logic of probability, and the logic of paradox.
John Horty, University of Maryland
James M. Henle is Professor of Mathematics at Smith College. His books include Calculus: the Language of Change (with David Cohen), Infinitesimal Calculus (with Eugene Kleinberg), and An Outline of Set Theory.
Jay L. Garfield is Doris Silbert Professor in the Humanities and Professor of Philosophy at Smith College, Professor in the Graduate Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Massachusetts, Professor of Philosophy at Melbourne University, and Adjunct Professor of Philosophy at the Central University of Tibetan Studies.
Thomas Tymoczko was, until his death, Professor of Philosophy at Smith College. He was editor of New Directions in the Philosophy of Mathematics.
From the Inside Flap
What exactly is "logic," and how does it work in the real world? Sweet Reason: A Field Guide to Modern Logic, 2nd Edition offers an innovative introduction to the field of logic in all its guises - one that integrates formal first order, modal, and nonclassical logic with natural language reasoning, analytical writing, critical thinking, set theory, and the philosophy of logic and mathematics. Designed to entertain as it informs, this nontraditional yet highly effective approach allows for a richer insights and a deeper understanding of the myriad principles of logic. Contemporary applications of logic in fields such as computer science and linguistics are also addressed. To further enhance clarity, a website linked to the text features numerous supplemental exercises and examples, enlightening puzzles and cartoons, and insightful essays on history, philosophy, mathematics, computing, linguistics, and religion. Sweet Reason brings the discipline of logic into sharp focus as a field of inquiry, not just a body of technique.
From the Back Cover
What exactly is "logic," and how does it work in the real world? Sweet Reason: A Field Guide to Modern Logic, 2nd Edition offers an innovative introduction to the field of logic in all its guises - one that integrates formal first order, modal, and nonclassical logic with natural language reasoning, analytical writing, critical thinking, set theory, and the philosophy of logic and mathematics. Designed to entertain as it informs, this nontraditional yet highly effective approach allows for a richer insights and a deeper understanding of the myriad principles of logic. Contemporary applications of logic in fields such as computer science and linguistics are also addressed. To further enhance clarity, a website linked to the text features numerous supplemental exercises and examples, enlightening puzzles and cartoons, and insightful essays on history, philosophy, mathematics, computing, linguistics, and religion. Sweet Reason brings the discipline of logic into sharp focus as a field of inquiry, not just a body of technique.
About the Author
James M. Henle is Professor of Mathematics at Smith College. His books include Calculus: the Language of Change (with David Cohen), Infinitesimal Calculus (with Eugene Kleinberg), and An Outline of Set Theory.
Jay L. Garfield is Doris Silbert Professor in the Humanities and Professor of Philosophy at Smith College, Professor in the Graduate Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Massachusetts, Professor of Philosophy at Melbourne University, and Adjunct Professor of Philosophy at the Central University of Tibetan Studies.
Thomas Tymoczko was, until his death, Professor of Philosophy at Smith College. He was editor of New Directions in the Philosophy of Mathematics.
