Introducing Logic: A Graphic Guide Paperback – September 4, 2008

This was my first foray in reading an introductory course presented in the comic book medium and I cant say I was disappointed. I have previously read other subjects condensed into accessible and concise formats, but this one really grabbed my attention.Let me begin by saying that whatever you think you may know about Logic may be entirely different from whats in this book. I have been fascinated by Philosophy ever since my High School days. Areas such as ontology, epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics fascinated my eager young mind to no end. Understanding myself, others, and this odd little situation we find ourselves called life was a big deal to me. Back in my college days I remember seeing Logic courses being offered but for some reason or another I never took part. My idea of Logic was probably similar to most peoples - things that made sense or a particular mode of thinking. After reading Introducing Logic: A Graphic Guide I found my whole conception of this area of Philosophy got flipped turned upside down.The book begins by providing a simple definition of what Logic which is "the study of truth preserving arguments." What intrigued me most upon starting this book was just how much mathematics played a role in Logic. As you learn in the book Logic is all about setting up an argument and analyzing the components that make up that argument. These arguments are arranged into formulas to test a variety of ideas. One thing that I think will catch the attention of a lot of people is just how wide Logic's influence on society is. I for one never knew that Logic was crucial in the development of electronics, computers, AI, and even cognitive science. New comers are likely to be stunned by how indebted we are to Logic for the development of technologies and ideas that are so common place we don't think twice about them.Before starting this book I was unsure of how I would respond to it. Im no stranger to the graphic novel medium, but the idea of learning something as intricate as Logic from what many just dismiss as comic books left me skeptical. Having finished the book I can say that neophytes to the study of Logic should have no worries about picking this one up. The information is presented in a very easy to digest manner and does not leave you feeling bombarded by complex recondite ideas. On the sleeve of the book I noticed that its part of a series of graphic novels that tackle a wide variety of subjects so I think I'll be returning for new books. Definitely pick this one up and live long and prosper!

Even though I have taken several philosophy courses including logic during my college years I thought this book (Introducing Logic: A graphic guide by Dan Cryan, Sharron Shatil and Bill Mayblin) would give me a brief overview and a good review of the basic principles of logic. Surprisingly, this 176 paperback went into more detail than I expected, which was fantastic.Some of the material covered in this text includes the followings: What is logic? The Greek philosopher Aristotle who first developed a system of logic using the syllogism. About 100 years after Aristotle Chrysippus of Soli further developed the system of logic. For the next 2,000 years other thinkers and mathematicians also came up with various ideas to improve the way reason and logic can be used to arrive at the truth. A few of the problems in arriving at the truth include: Contradiction factors and the liar paradox riddle.Reading this book will give you an overall basic theory of logic but this subject can also be confusing because of the many inherent problems in arriving at the truth and facts of a subject. The fact concerning contradictions are also a big problem. In any case, if you are seeking a good basic guide to the subject of logic you should check out this book.Rating: 4 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: The Samurai Soul: An old warrior’s poetic tribute).

Absolutely wonderful read, explained all topics in a very accessible and entertaining way, one of my best book purchases. Simplified the concepts, but did not short-change them or diminish the explanations in any way. Loved the graphics, they contribute so much to the understanding, and the interrelatedness of all of the players involved (the different mathematicians and logicians and their particular contributions) was fascinating, going all the way back to Aristotle and Chrissapus. Highly recommend this book, especially since after obtaining and reading a similar 'introductory' book on 'Logic', found out how much better this presentation truly is, and how much I learned in comparison.

The cartoons are for the most part unreadable on my Kindle and the text relies on the graphics, which made this a slog for me. Guess I should have figured that might be an issue from the "A Graphic Guide" in the title, so my bad. Apart from that I feel that this is one of those middle of the road books that won't appeal to the knowledgeable because it is too light and slight, yet will lose the casual reader because understanding logic does take some heavy duty thinking, cartoon call outs aside.Still, it covers most modes of logic and makes a solid effort to describe and link the various frameworks so if you are interested in a deeper understanding of the topic it is worth trying.