INFORMAL LOGIC XV!.3, Fall 1994 Book Abstracts Feldman, Richard ( 1993). Reason & Argu- ment. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. ISBN 0-13-767229-2. Reason & Argument is a textbook for rea- soning, critical thinking, and informal logic courses. It contains three main sections. The first introduces the conceptual background necessary for understanding and analyzing arguments. It includes discussions of epis- temological concepts used in describing and evaluating arguments. This section ad- dresses the naively relativistic ideas of many students which interfere with their ability to reason well. The second main section presents a general method for identifying, reconstructing, and evaluating arguments. The final section applies the method to re- alistic arguments about testimonial, statis- tical, causal, and moral issues. The method of argument analysis developed in the book discourages simplistic labeling and catego- rizing of arguments and encourages careful and constructive analysis. Freeman, James (1992). Thinking Logi- cally: Basic Concepts for Reasoning, 2nd ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall. ISBN 0-13-9051 IS-X. This informal logic text begins by distin- guishing three functions of language informati ve/expressi ve/directi ve - and discussing problems of meaning, includ- ing vagueness and ambiguity. Recogniz- ing arguments and their premises and con- clusions follows. Distinguishing the per- suasive force from the logically convinc- ing character of arguments leads to dis- cussing various emotional appeal fallacies including grandstanding, bandwagon, au- thority, ad hominem, ignorance, and slip- pery slope. A full step-by-step discussion of argument diagramming via a circle and arrow technique follows over the next two chapters. We then turn to three central is- sues in argument evaluation - premise acceptability, relevance, and adequate weight. The last includes both inductive and deductive considerations. For each issue we present general evaluative con- siderations and consider particular falla- cies. We conclude with an overall argu- ment evaluation procedure. Salmon, Merrilee H. (1995). Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking, 3rd ed. Fort Worth, TX & New York: Harcourt Brace College Publishers. This text examines critical thinking and the logical skills that contribute to it in the context of everyday life. The book opens with three chapters that discuss logic and critical thinking in a general way. Following these, the text focuses on the structure of inductive reasoning be- fore moving to deduction. The many ex- ercises and examples are drawn from lit- erature, popular science, history, and con- temporary public policy debates. The book introduces in a nonthreatening way enough technical material to allow stu- dents to use modern systems of logic for analyzing real-life arguments. Fallacies are treated in connection with the correct arguments that they resemble; they are also gathered alphabetically and defined in a special appendix. A bibliography and index contribute to the book's usefulness. Book abstracts as provided by authors.