The Fallacy Detective: Thirty-Eight Lessons on How to Recognize Bad Reasoning Paperback – October 1, 2009

I am using Fallacy Detective with two of my children, ages 12 and 10 although occasionally my 6 and 4 year olds listen in too. The book states it is intended for ages 12 and up. My older children are not having any difficulty with this book and my younger ones understand some of it.There are a couple things I am doing to help the children really learn the material. They love the book and would like to cover 10 lessons a day if I would let them! First, we are taking it slow with one lesson every couple of days and in-between lesson days we continue to review the fallacies we have previously learned. Two, I have made a list with the name of the fallacy and a short, couple word reminder of the meaning of that fallacy. I have it placed in a prominent spot so we can review it and the children glance up at it often as we try to discern any fallacies in ideas we hear, things we read that are posted on Facebook, or things watched in carefully selected You Tube videos.My children have made a game of identifying fallacies all over the place- commercials, political speeches, newspaper ads, etc. I know they truly understand this material as they continue to correctly identify different fallacies.Things that I have found most helpful about the book:The lessons are short.There are exercises at the end of most lessons to reinforce the fallacy that is taught.There are exercises at the end of each lesson that review previous fallacies that are taught.The children enjoy the book.At the end of the book is a Fallacy Detective Game that we have not yet played but I know my children will enjoy it. Looking ahead, even though my children have not completed all the lessons, they have enough knowledge to begin playing the game before finishing the book. It looks like another wonderful way to review.In the back there is a short list of all the fallacies covered in the book and an example of that fallacy that will be a wonderful reference tool for future use to remind us of what we have learned.Overall, we are very pleased with our purchase and we see immense value in what our children are so eagerly learning. We feel this is a fantastic beginning logic book and we highly recommend it.

This is the best short introduction to informal fallacies that I saw in my search for them. It is very well written with good examples, and good exercises (alone with an answer key).I was a little hesitant because of its claimed Christian connection. But I could not see any biase of any kind, and anyone who says there is I think has a logic problem of their own. There are a couple of references to Proverbs but the idea that one of the great wisdom books of mankind's history needs to be excluded because it indicates a religious connection is logically absurd.I prefer this earlier non-workbook edition because it is a little less bulky and I do not like to put handwriting into books. Writing in workbooks makes them unsuitable for future use - including your own.

What a great book! I loved reading these as much as my son did for his class. We would have great discussions at dinner and go through the questions and try to figure out what fallacy was being used. Also, a great tool when listening to political debates or even our leader (s) addressing the nation. It should be a required read in every jr. high or H.S class. If you or your child will be taking a logic class, I would suggest reading before it.

In the story "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" the Professor is trying to help Lucy solve a problem using logic and reasoning. When she acts like that train of thought is new to her, he makes the comment, "What do they teach children in schools these days?" That is how you will feel when you read this book. My seventh grader has it as required reading for a class I enrolled him in and this should really be taught in schools. Every child needs to know how to reason logically and how to detect fallacious reasoning in advertising, debates and rhetoric. This is a skill we need daily in our media saturated culture. Whether you are in junior high or a grown adult you will find this an enriching read.

Perfect for children who are easily led. Mine needed a little logic and order. If your child is book -smart. You will do well to add this to her curriculum.

My 3 children aged 10-14 are using this book. It is for ages 12+...so keep that in mind as I would say their age reccomendations are spot on for maximum benefit. . It offers examples and answers which adds to the learning experience. I even am learning from it! Glad we bought it.Also....the book states that this is equal to one highschool credit for those wondering.