7 steps how to read a book: #4 Spot the bad argument

Reading a book is an art. It requires skill, and the skillful are rewarded. The good reader but be able to distinguish between good arguments (points) and bad ones, otherwise he or she may end up swallowing the false logic.

I read a story about a man who wanted to test the wisdom of his three sons. He gave each of them an apple, and each apple was half rotten. One boy ate the whole thing. The second son threw the whole thing away. The third son cut off the rotten part and ate the good part. This shows how a good reader should be able to separate the good and bad in what he reads. Even the same author can have good and bad arguments. The analogy was applied to all of life. (I think the book was written by Richard Baxter). So lets identify some bad arguments.

Here are some examples of  false logic:


Birds fly.
A chicken is a bird.
Therefore, a chicken can fly.

 This argument is used is more complicated ways. For example, when some preacher is being criticised for spending the churches money, he may say:

Pharisees opposed Christians.
I am a Christian.
Whoever opposes me is a Pharisee.

Do you see the false logic? These kinds of arguments can be used in sales, politics or day to day conversations. And many times we are convinced before we reflect on the validity of the arguments. Another example would be, someone trying to justify his behaviour:

After all, everyone is doing it.

But that does not mean it is right! Many arguments are misleading, but we may be convinced because someone famous or trusted is speaking. 

Another example is a false "either/or" argument:

If you don't support Chelsea you don't know real football

The good reader must have a critical mind. Don't eat every apple, and don't eat every bit of the apple's you eat!

Rumours - GMO for the mind! (Poetry)

If you have lived long enough and have a little keen observation

I have no doubt you will relate to this common situation

WHen data treacles down the grape vine and changes form

The story modifies, twists and grows and amplifies, filled with lies

No one bothers to come and ask for your witness testimony (IF only!)

People receive the 'news' and accept it as fact; They swallow, digest and react!

My mistakes blown out of proportion, I'm painted as wicked as Nero!Others defend their image and get painted as heroes!

The crowds that used to greet go silent. (I wouldn't be shocked if they turned Kill-Bill violent!)

Written on each face, a scowl that tells me the rumour has taken root, found a cosy place
Yet no one has come to ask - No one wants a fact finding task or intercedes for grace

Those words become a mask to mask the truth that they wont ask

Gossip goes down like a t-bone stake, juicy, tender, GMO and fake

Wont someone give me a break!

But in all this atleast I know my real friends come to inquire because they care

For them, its more than just another juicy morsel to share.

So before you listen to a story that is seeping through the vine

ANd before you share it, think: Is it true, is it fair, will sharing it be kind?

Sometimes you have better things to feed your mind!

*Food for thought - No G.M.O. for the mind!*

7 steps - How to read a book: #3 Recognise the rhetoric (Or: A lot of nothing)

What is the difference between an argument, an explanation and rhetoric? An argument is an attempt to persuade using a conclusion and at least one supporting reason. An explanation is expanding on a point that  is already accepted as true (or assumed to be true). Rhetoric is different. Bowell and Kemp define it as “Any verbal or written attempt to persuade someone to believe, desire or do something that does not attempt to give good reasons for the belief, desire or actions, but attempts to motivate the belief, desire or action solely through the power of the words used.” An example may help. Imagine the following narration comes with a TV advert: 

“I look up at the blue sky, I see the lovely butterflies and I hear the sweet song of the birds. People are smiling and there is the sense of freedom on the air. That is why I use ‘Ka-blam’ washing paste. The smell of satisfaction!”

What we have above is not an argument, not even an explanation. It is a statement that tries to convince us to use ‘Ka-blam’, without giving us a reason. It just associates the paste with nice sounds and sights, for no reason at all. That is rhetoric. Modern adverts are rarely argument! (Although artistic adverts are very entertaining...!)

Another example will do. You are discussing the teachings of some group, church or sect, then a friend says, “Only an idiot can believe such rubbish!” May be you are not convinced, but you are intimidated and laugh along with your friends. He has not given you a reason to reject that idea. Bowell and Kemp call this an “appeal to ridicule.” No reason is given, but a negative label (such as ‘rubbish’ or ‘idiotic’) is used to persuade.

We find rhetoric in some speeches, books, used by friends, con-men, salesmen, preachers and everyday conversation. A useful skill is learning to recognise rhetoric and distinguish it from arguments and explanations. Sugar coated words have a rightful place in life, but be careful not to confuse them for arguments. That is how con-men get away with so much!

7 steps - How to read a book: #2 What's the point?

We continue with the series by asking "What's the point?" I mean what is the main point the writer is trying to put across?

Piper wrote, "most of us write to communicate something, rather than simply to throw things on the page for others to make of them what they will". Good reading means we aim to discover this "something". You are trying to discover the "mind" of the writer.

Sometimes a novel will have one theme. Sometimes a motivational book will have dozens of ideas. Our focus here is on the kind of book that contains explicit points it is trying to put across. When we say argument here, we don't mean a loud exchange of words. Tracy Bowell and Gary Kemp in their book "Critical thinking" define an argument as, "a set of propositions of which one is a conclusion and the remainder are the premises intended to support the conclusion". By "premise" they mean "basis" for the conclusion.

So an argument is a statement that gives a conclusion, and a reason for that conclusion. For example: "Taking too much salt is bad for you. People who take too much salt eventually suffer from high blood pressure." The conclusion is that "salt is bad for you". The basis is the experience of people who have taken too much. That is the premise.

When we come to speeches and adverts, we may find it is harder to pin-point the conclusion, the point of the statement. Many speeches and adverts are "decorated" with phrases that add "flavour", but many times there is no real point that is being made.

When you read a paragraph, try and find the one sentence that highlights the point of the whole statement. There is a motive behind the writing, and your aim should be to discover that point, whether you agree with it or not. You can only react properly to the piece of writing when you have identified the point.

When we analyse and understand statements better, there is less chance that we will be conned by "sweet talkers" and lose ourselves in the eloquence. Good analysis is part of wisdom.

The next step will be identifying what is a good argument and what is a bad or faulty argument. But that is for another entry!

7 steps - How to read a book: #1 Motive and mindset

There is a right way and a wrong way to read a book! If you approach books the way you approach watching a movie or listening to the radio, it is no surprise that you struggle with reading. It is like swapping the rules in volleyball and basketball – it will not work! So how can we enjoy and benefit from reading books?

Recently I started reading “How to Read a Book” by Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren. It reminded me that good reading is actually a skill that can be developed. Some people are too quick to surrender and say “reading is not for me” when the skill can be learned. Some of his insights are worth sharing!

The author talks about two attitudes to reading, (1) active and, (2) passive. The active reader makes an effort to digest what he reads. Compared to a sport, in basketball the one who throws the ball and his teammate who catches it are both active. Likewise, the writer was active in writing and the reader must be skilful in “catching” what he is saying. The active reader, who develops his skill, will be successful in his reading. Active reading means you are a player in the game, not a spectator. Effective reading needs an active mind.

The writer also distinguishes between reading for more information (of the same kind we already have, more or less) and reading for deeper understanding. If we only read material at the same level, our understanding will never grow. But if we challenge ourselves by reading material which has more than we presently understand, we can potentially experience personal growth. Choice of reading material is as important as our attitude to reading.

A lot of modern books and magazines try to make material that is not challenging, in order to indulge the readers who are avoiding critical thinking. You can’t blame them. The average reader wants to make a little effort as they do when watching a cartoon over the weekend. There is little challenge, but there is also little personal development. Others have mastered the art of memorising books for exams, without really understanding them, and therefore they can barely apply that data to their work. Our goal should be reading for personal development as well as enjoyment.

The first step to enjoying and benefiting from books is “counting the cost”. Do a cost benefit analysis and tell yourself, “The time and effort needed to read books properly is worth it. For personal growth and greater critical analysis, I will gladly make the effort to read the right stuff, and to read it properly.

For more, wait for the second part in this series!