 | |  |
| Aristotle and an Aardvark Go to Washington | 
enlarge | Authors: Thomas Cathcart, Daniel Klein Publisher: Abrams Image Category: Book
List Price: $18.95 Buy New: $3.13 You Save: $15.82 (83%)
Buy New/Used/Collectible from $3.13
Avg. Customer Rating:   (19 reviews) Sales Rank: 992
Media: Hardcover Number Of Items: 1 Pages: 196 Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6 Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.1 x 0.8
ISBN: 0810995417 Dewey Decimal Number: 401.41 EAN: 9780810995413 ASIN: 0810995417
Publication Date: January 1, 2008 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein, authors of the national bestseller Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar, aren’t falling for any election year claptrap—and they don’t want their readers to either! In Aristotle and an Aardvark Go to Washington, our two favorite philosopher-comedians return just in time to save us from the double-speak, flim-flam, and alternate reality of politics in America.
Deploying jokes and cartoon as well as the occasional insight from Aristotle and his peers, Cathcart and Klein explain what politicos are up to when they state: “The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence.” (Donald Rumsfeld), “It depends on what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is.” (Bill Clinton), or even, “We hold these truths to be self-evident…” (Thomas Jefferson, et al).
Drawing from the pronouncements of everyone from Caesar to Condoleeza Rice, Genghis Kahn to Hillary Clinton, and Adolf Hitler to Al Sharpton. Cathcart and Klein help us learn to identify tricks such as “The Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy” (non causa pro causa) and the “The Fallacy Fallacy” (argumentum and logicam). Aristotle and an Aardvark is for anyone who ever felt like the politicos and pundits were speaking Greek. At least Cathcart and Klein provide the Latin name for it (raudatio publica)!
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 14 more reviews...
  light, quick tour through a host of logical fallacies with lots of funny quotes and funny jokes June 30, 2008 I was convinced to read this book when I stumbled upon it at an airport bookstore and saw that it had (a) quotes from The Daily Show's Jon Stewart, and (b) funny story jokes. That was enough for me!
In this slim volume [just 3 CDs for the unabridged audiobook], the authors illustrate a broad array of logical fallacies (with fancy philosophical names like "denying the antecedent"*) using quotes from current politicians and lots of jokes (see Appendix A for an example). Members of the George W. Bush administration are the primary targets, although Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and others don't get left out.
The quotes are funny and the jokes are funny. The book is light, quick, and enjoyable.
The philosophy provides a structural framework: the authors go through various fallacies one-by-one, giving a short description and then examples and jokes. One could probably learn something about philosophy from this, but I admit that a few days after having finished the book, most of what has stayed with me are the quotes and the jokes.
I listened to the unabridged audioboook narrated by Johnny Heller [just 3 CDs]. He does a good job except when he is imitating Dick Cheney or George W. Bush: Then, not so much.
* That may not be the actual name. I'm recalling here.
Appendix A: A joke from the book, retold by me
A man approaches another man on the street and says, "Jones, you've completely changed! You used to be fat and now you've lost all the weight and are thin as a rail. You used to wear nice suits and now you're wearing these rags. You even used to be short and now you're tall." The other man responds, "My name isn't Jones," to which the first replies, "So you've even changed your name!"
  loved it June 30, 2008 I got this book for my husband for Father's Day and he loved it. In fact, he's enjoyed telling so many of the jokes. He just sits there and snickers or howls, and then we get to hear all about it. He loved it!
  Good topic, so-so execution June 4, 2008 1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Just as most citizens seem to be suckers for illogical political argument, I'm a sucker for any book about politics and logic. I came across this book in the store and it seemed promising, but ultimately, all I got out of it is that I shouldn't buy books I know nothing about on a whim.
The high ratio of attacks against Republican logic vs. Democratic logic didn't bother me and it shouldn't bother you either. The authors are attempting to point out logical fallacies used by politicians, and if they do their work well, you should be able to spot them afterwards coming from politicians of both parties regardless of what examples are used in the book.
My criticisms of the book are:
1. I'm not a moron, so I doubt I missed many of the jokes, but I didn't find them that funny. Many of them seem to be there only to reinforce how ridiculous each logical fallacy is. I'm talking about the jokes in the body of the text. There are longer jokes inserted in the text that (I assume) aren't jokes by the authors. The ironic thing about the jokes in the body of the text is they are the best examples of the fallacies mentioned because...
2. The examples aren't great and aren't explained very well. The Rumsfeld example about the absence of evidence is one that screamed for a much better explanation than the authors give (and it was one of the lengthier explanations in the book).
3. The fallacies themselves aren't explained very well. The book I always return to when I want to refresh my understanding of a fallacy is With Good Reason by Engel, which explains them succinctly. Someone with little background in logical fallacies shouldn't use Aristotle and an Aardvark to better understand them.
Still, there are some good examples. The explanation of Kerry's distinction between civil unions and marriage was great. If all sections of the book were this good, it would be a great book.
Ultimately, after making you laugh, a book like this should help you detect the fallacies when they are used in the real world, but I don't think it explains them enough to allow for that, which makes it read more as a criticism of specific statements.
With all the illogical statements made by politicians, spin doctors, and political pundits, there is plenty of material for a book like this. Until someone finally writes a good U.S.-based book on political illogic, Crimes Against Logic by Jamie Whyte is your best bet.
  Laugh and the world laughs with you May 30, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I'm not supposed to get overwrought about politics. This book is just the ticket. It's smart and so very funny. I would recommend this to any political junkies out there.
  Great follow-up! May 8, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a great follow-up to Plato and a Platypus Walk Into a Bar. These guys are really funny. I learned a lot about philosophy and politics. Buy both of these books.
|
|
|
 Powered by Associate-O-Matic
|  | |