A First Course in Logic

In academia, basic logic is seen as both a skill that must be mastered by all, and as a topic that is hardly taught to anyone. As a skill, logic offers various techniques for evaluating the truth or the falsity of a statement. As a topic, logic offers insurance that these techniques are valid and, if possible, complete. In his book, Mark Lawson proposes a pleasant journey in both directions. Following a tradition that dates back at least to the ancient greeks, plenty of everyday life examples are proposed throughout the book for initiating, developing, and confirming our capacity to use logic as a skill. As additional examples of logic at work, most major known facts concerning basic logic as a topic are also carefully and incrementally presented. While a course in formal logic can easily become awfully abstract, dull, and difficult, this first course in logic is certainly not of that kind: on the contrary -David Janin, Bordeaux INP, ENSEIRB-MATMECA In academia, basic logic is seen as both a skill that must be mastered by all, and as a topic that is hardly taught to anyone. As a skill, logic offers various techniques for evaluating the truth or the falsity of a statement. As a topic, logic offers insurance that these techniques are valid and, if possible, complete. In his book, Mark Lawson proposes a pleasant journey in both directions. Following a tradition that dates back at least to the ancient greeks, plenty of everyday life examples are proposed throughout the book for initiating, developing, and confirming our capacity to use logic as a skill. As additional examples of logic at work, most major known facts concerning basic logic as a topic are also carefully and incrementally presented. While a course in formal logic can easily become awfully abstract, dull, and difficult, this first course in logic is certainly not of that kind: on the contrary -David Janin, Bordeaux INP, ENSEIRB-MATMECA