Argument: a Guide to Critical Thinking by Perry Weddle (review)

geROCKY MOUNTAIN REVIEW this observation are never realized; these men engaged in a series of speculations which are best described as philosophical and nationalistic and a set of etymologies that the editor correctly identifies as "sheer fantasy " at one point (p. 78). Professor Waterman points out that these letters treat four topics of interest to the historical linguist. "I) the geographical origins of the Germanic people; 2) the theory of a protolanguage; 3) principles and methods of establishing linguistic relationships; and 4) the study (including the dialects ) and improvement of the German language" (p. 57). To make his case for each point, he turns to evidence beyond that given in this edition, essays and other items from Leibniz's voluminous correspondence. This presentation is crisp and clean, it makes us realize what a sketchy outline the edited letters show us on each of the topics. This edition is a model of strong philological scholarship. It is welcome, for it places important work in our hands, but it must be viewed, as Professor Waterman himself surely does, as the beginning and not the end of such investigations into late seventeenth and early eighteenth century linguistic theory and practice. JAMES SHAY, University of Texas at Austin Perry Weddle, Argument: a Guide to Critical Thinking. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1978. 192 p. Weddle says that he intends his book to be useful in courses in rhetoric, composition, debate, journalism, and logic, as well as to the general reader who every day must cope with the raw material of argument. Unfortunately , the book is not likely to find its way into the hands of many general readers, no matter how intimidated they may be supposed to be by the argumentative exigencies of daily life, but teachers of such courses as he mentions, if they can find time to work it in as a supplemental text, will be delighted with the book. It is a clean, lively, contemporary treatment of the subject. Much of the material is taken from daily life — from "wire service stories, editorials, letters to the editor, street wisdom, and TV." Yet the book is neither ephemeral nor superficial, touching as it does on such basic argumentative sources as "religion, human action, history, causation, art, and the theoretical foundations on which argument rests." The book would, it seems to me, work especially well in an English composition class. It is divided into seven chapters, the first of which is a clear, concise introduction to the forms and terminology of good reasoning. Subsequent chapters deal with fallacy (including an especially notable discussion of non-rational methods of behavior modification), language, authority (very good on the useand misuse of statistics), generality (quite strong, especially on polls and surveys), comparison, and cause. The chapter on language is the best of the lot, though theyare all good; it covers connotation, equivocation , and definition thoroughly, intelligently, and, above all, clearly. BOOK REVIEWS87 Perhaps the most valuable feature of the book, however, is not its exposition, good as it is, but rather its wealth of illustrative material and the "quick checks," "examples and comments," and "applications" sections included in every chapter. The "quick checks" are brief problems (followed by the answers) which enable the reader to guage and reinforce his comprehension. The "examples and comments" are intended to provide material for discussion and deeper thought. The "applications" suggest projects and assignments which give the student guidance in putting to use the material in the chapter. Taken together, these three sections provide more than ample material for quizzing and for interesting, significant classroom discussion and group and individual projects outside the classroom. In general, Weddle's book has the virtues of clarity, concision, and interest — virtues which will make it enjoyable as well as useful in any classroom in which the methods of clear thinking are important. DENNIS HOILMAN, Ball State University Announcements Pacific Northwest American Studies Association Conference April 16-18, 1981: Pacific Northwest American Studies Association, University of Idaho, Moscow. Theme: "The American Sense of the Land"; sessons on Thoreau, Wendell Berry, American ruins, "Feminist Re-Visions," national parks, a "living-history" museum, railroads and engineers; speaker: John Keeble, author of Yellowfish; for information write David Barber...