The Thinker's Guide to Fallacies: The Art of Mental Trickery and Manipulation (Thinker's Guide Library)

Paul, Elder, and the whole "Foundation for Critical Thinking" (criticalthinking dot org, not dot com) take on that question, and take it on as a personal responsibility. Well it is, isn't it?This brief (50-60 pp.) pamphlet starts with a brief description of who the manipulators are and why they manipulate - a discussion that could have gone on at much greater length. They address briefly some of the necessities of thought that most often find themselves abused. I find analogy to fat and salt in our diet, as necessary nutrients that become unhealthy or toxic when used to excess, much the way generalization allows abstract thought but can be subverted to serve absurd and toxic purposes.The pamphlet's core presents 44 Dirty Tricks of thought and argument, fallacies that invade our front pages like kudzu strangling a tree. "Ignore the Main Point," "Make sweeping, glittering generalizations," "Create false dilemma," - it's a great list, but more of a basis for discussion than an exhaustive taxonomy. A few historical examples follow, leaving me thinking of biology classes that follow anatomy lessons with dissections of small critters to show how the theoretical truth plays out in a world of unique examples.I'm not sure how this would fit any high school curriculum I ever saw, but home schoolers (the serious kind, not the religious separatists) will be able to take this one to the streets, to TV, newspapers, and just about any serious discussion of anything. As with a dissection, the student might find a few stomach-turning moments, but will come away with even better knowledge because of them.- wiredweird

I bought this book to improve my thinking and to help my parents (huge Rush Limbaugh fans)to see the light and stop listening and believing everything that somebody says just because they act like they know what they're saying. As neither a Republican nor a Democrat, I let my mother borrow this book for a few days.She completely missed the point, and proceeded to underline things in the section about education not meaning that you are going to escape the prejudices and imbalance of thought, but that you often times just create a more sophisticated rouse. Skipping over the part about non-critical thinkers entirely, which is what she needed to see. This book is powerful in that sense, some people aren't ready for it, or they don't want to understand. So if you're comfortable in your own little shell and ideologies that you've built up with the little walls around you, and would rather not know the truth, then stay away from this book.Also, I found the book at my parents house after letting my mom borrow it and I took it back with me. She later told me that she didn't intend to give it back and that she was going to pitch it. THIS BOOK'S AWESOME!

The book is ok. I couldn't help but feel, as I read the book, that the authors are Democrats, anti-Vietnam War, anti-Iraqi War, anti-Joe McCarthy, anti-George W Bush, anti-Ronald Reagan, and anti-Beatle (especially when it comes to John and Paul's "All You Need Is Love" song). The book has a decided anti-GOP ring to it, and when the authors' give examples of fallacious manipulative arguments, they seem to have chosen--for the majority--as their examples sound bites from the Christian Right, GOP, Vietnam War Supporters, Iraqi War Supporters. It would have been better if the authors included in their examples of fallacious manipulative arguments sound bites from the Christian Left, atheists, anti-Viet Nam protestors, Iraqi War protestors, and the communist subversives of the '50s. In other words, get examples of fallacious manipulative arguments from as diverse a group as possible: Democrats, Republicans, Communists, atheists etc. and throw in fallacious manipulative argument examples from the Independents as well. And criticize each group equally, instead of criticizing the GOP and Christian Right most of the time.Other than this, on the plus side, the book gave me a different perspective on fallacies especially when it came to faulty analogies and metaphors. The authors, in the book, mention Dirty Trick #24 Ignore the Main Point, but I can't distinguish this from Dirty Trick #42 Throw in a Red Herring. To me, Dirty Trick #24 and Dirty Trick #42 are one and the same. (Perhaps that's why the authors chose the numbers 24 and 42, because they are cryptically the reverse of each other?)

Puts into words what I have been thinking my entire adult life.Should be required reading in high school.Not too long. Gets the concept across in about 50 pages.

Had this book "issued" to me as part of a military professional development course I went to several years ago. While talking to a co-worker a few years back I gave it to him. Glad to have found a Kindle version so that I can have it with me on my iPhone or iPad (or Mac) at all times. Now if my job would only allow the use of anything but IE I could use Kindle for the Desktop as well.

I've enjoyed some of Dr. Paul's other writings, as I thought he just might be a genuine critical thinker. Unfortunately, this book demonstrates that he is not, because his examples use some of the same "dirty tricks" (i.e. fallacies) that this book is supposed to spotlight. In doing so, he reveals that he really doesn't apply critical thinking to some modern issues, since this book simply restates the same old agenda under the guise that it is being approached via critical thought. If you purchase this book, read the section about Dirty Tricks with a true critical eye and you'll see what I mean.The book could have been a great read if he had truly examined some of the issues that he condemns in his examples of dirty trickery and used those as his examples. But alas... he did not.

Helps to slow down time and analyze all of those cheap misleading and illogical fallacies as they wing right past you, a la Matrix.

the book was in perfect condition but it never got used. not amazon or the seller's fault. just stupid college professors who make you spend money you don't need to spend, but impossible to resell.

While the content of the book was well constituted and useful, practical information - I was shocked that I paid $35 for a 'book' that was really a leaflet the size of a ballet program - I would not recommend it as a reasonable value, which is unfortunate because the content itself is worthwhile.

Excellent! I believe that this little piece insight more should be aware of to shine a lens on the media that we are bombarded with and the misleading ways of others.

Interesting read

Great help