What are arguments for? How do they work and how do they fail? Arguing Well gives a lucid introduction to the nature of arguments and provides a guide on when to implement reason. It explains the principles of good reasoning, how to apply it and strategies to overcome forces that lead to abandoning it. A simple introduction to symbolic logic gives the reader a useful tool in dealing with arguments. Throughout the book, the long neglected psychological factors that prevent the operating of reasoning are uncovered and a guide is provided on when to implement reason.

John Shand is an Associate Lecturer in Philosophy at the Open University. He is the author of Philosophy and Philosophers: An Introduction to Western Philosophy(1994).