Come, Let Us Reason: An Introduction to Logical Thinking

PRODUCT WAS IN PERFECT CONDITION!

This book is an excellent introduction into the basic formulas and terminology of logic. All basics are covered: Syllogism, inductive, deductive, dilemma's, and so on. The reviewer from Vancover, WA, who unfairly rates this book low, brings up that Godel and Brouwer have demonstrated the inability of logic (paraphased);But didn't they use logic to reach that conclusion? - yes they did. Without logical thinking, all our statements and beliefs become nonsensical! Either logic is used or abused.Geisler and Brooks have written a great text and its only real (possible) flaw is that it is written from a conservative Christian viewpoint. Myself a Christian, I do see problems with people who will unfairly rate this book low or not give it a fair reading because of the overtly Christian stance. With that said, this is also the book's strength, because many Christians need to learn logic and may turn to this book because of the Geilser and Brook's religious position.The chapters on "informal fallacies" and "scientific thinking" are extremely well written for the primer level. This book is great from start to finish.

This book is not meant for casual reading (you have to think to understand this one), but it can help enlighten the casual reader (who does not want to study) if he/she skims through the first 90 pages (which require some study of terms and differences)and then coasts through the rest. Geisler and Brooks are Christian thinkers who understand thinking and logic, and they present the major components of logical thinking in a Christian context.The authors explain syllogisms and differentiate between a valid conclusion and an invalid conclusion. They also distinguish validity from actual truth (valid conclusions are not always actually true in reality; they are merely logically based on the premises presented). That's the stuff addressed in the first 90 pages.But the best part (and most enjoyable for me)began with chapter 6, "Informal Fallacies." This section was lighter reading. Since this is an election year, it would be a study in itself to compare political commentaries and supposed answers to questions with the logic presented in this volume!Since the authors are serious students of Scripture and Geisler is a celebrated Theologian, most of their examples come from familiar Bible texts or theological issues. Although I have stronger convictions about Sovereign Grace than do the authors, I really found their examples useful in the realm of hermenutics (Bible interpretation). They are solid defenders of an inerrant Bible and ethical interpretation.If you want to brush up your thinking skills, this might be a good place to start. "Fit Bodies, Fat Minds" by Os Guiness persuades us that the use of the mind has been neglected in evangelical communities, and Geisler and Brooks have written a work to help properly activate those little grey cells. Not really an easy read, and not for everyone, but a meaningful mind stretcher.

If you don't have time to study, think through and review the lessons and do the "homework" at the end of each chapter, this book is going to be painful and easily out of control, by which I mean you will probably be lost unless you keep track of the materials covered in the previous chapters. Though I completed reading the entire book, I was only able to keep up with the first few chapters, reviewing and doing the exercise, and they are not easy. If I were to grade myself, I believe I barely got a C perhaps because I wasn't serious enough since I wasn't using this book in a more disciplined classroom environment. I wish I did. With this said, I have to say Geisler did an excellent job. This is an intro to logic with Christian overtone, a solid foundation for rational apologetics.

Geisler's approach is far from secular but he does give a well rounded overview of logic that served me well when I took a class in college.

Come let us reason: An introduction to logical thinking by Norman Geisler and Ronald Brooks (1990) was more detailed than a similar book, Being Logical. I appreciated the additional depth, though Being Logical will be a great go to resource. With that said, the first several chapters of Come let us reason were difficult to understand. The complex notation of categorical syllogisms were challenging for me to grasp. As he began to flesh these thoughts out in the later chapters, however, I really found the initial information to be an important foundation. I will probably need to read through this book a few times to understand logic and be able to spot it in daily life. All in all, the authors not only establish the importance of logic for the Christian but the inherent logic of the Bible.

Great book considering logics is not easy

Incredible work by this author. Love the book.