Portland Public Library

The art of logic in an illogical world, Eugenia Cheng

eng

Includes index (pages 301-304)

illustrations

index present

non fiction

The art of logic in an illogical world

1019991677

Eugenia Cheng

The world is awash with terrible arguments, conflict, bigotry, divisiveness, fake news, and miniscule attention spans. People make simple and dramatic statements for effect, impact, and acclaim, trying to grab some limelight in a world where everyone and everything are competing for our attention. Is all hope lost? No. In The Art of Logic in an Illogical World, Eugenia Cheng throws us a lifeline. For centuries, mathematicians like Cheng have been honing the techniques of logic, a crucial tool for thinking about our world. And these techniques aren't just for mathematicians--with Cheng's help, we can all use logic to help illuminate society's most pressing problems, from contentious topics like sexism, racism, privilege, and harassment, to thorny political debates over public healthcare, Brexit, and Black Lives matter. Logic can't tell us what the conclusion of those arguments should be, but it can tell us what a good argument should look like. But logic alone isn't enough: we humans need emotions too. As Cheng shows, logic makes our arguments rigorous, but emotions make them convincing. By using the two side-by-side, we can think more effectively, and achieve a deeper and more compassionate understanding of our fellow human beings. That is the true art of logic. In the tradition of How Not to Be Wrong and Weapons of Math Destruction, The Art of Logic in an Illogical World is the must-read guide to thinking straight in a world that doesn't--Jacket