Right now, I’m rereading a great book about critical thinking, Asking the Right Questions, by M. Neil Browne and Stuart M. Keeley. I recommend this book to anyone who has to do any kind of writing – or communicating, for that matter! (I guess that means everyone). It offers very practical and useful insight in how to apply logic to clarify and strengthen the messages you send, and to interpret the information you receive.
One of the great logical pitfalls of communication is the logical fallacy. Very generally, this is an error in reasoning. I just found a fabulous resource for understanding just about every flavor of logical fallacy. Check out this Fallacy tutorial by Dr. Michael C. Labossiere. It’s a great guide to understanding how an “Appeal to Authority” differs from an “Appeal to Fear,” and why both represent faulty reasoning. Plus you can explore dozens of other types of fallacies. Entertaining and educational reading!
