Rating: 
Summary: DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK
Review: DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK. I bought this book to learn logic. It turned out that this book uses 3 different software, which can be installed through cd or web site. Most of the exercises require software. Quite frankly I prefer the pen and paper method better. You don't really need a set of software to learn basic logic. It just adds unnecessary complexity.
When I opened this book and read through first chapter it turned out that 80% of the exercises require the use of software. I was not willing to install the software ands set up the grade grinder, which requires Internet connection. I usually study in libraries or cafes, and I don't have a laptop to carry around. When I do an exercise, I want to check the answer, not send an e-mail and wait for an answer. The logic behind this is that author/publisher wants us to buy new books, rather than used, which is $60.00. This format makes used book worthless. This is such a cheap way of authoring and publishing a book. There are many other good books on logic available with a more user-friendly format. All the reviews are cooked up to justify this cheap way of making money.
Only buy this book if you have a laptop, desire to learn frustrating software (may I remind you that goal is to learn language, proof and logic, not software.) and if you like reading in front of a desktop with an Internet connection. BTW: Grade grinder sucks, just imagine a computer grading your assignment.
Rating:
Summary: DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK
Review: I bought a used copy of the book and software at the beginning of the term, for a class. Now that we're starting it, I find out that a) we will be using the CD's software, including the online grading service, and therefore b) the copy I bought is useless to me. The grading service records one email address (i.e. that of the previous owner) per book number. That email, necessary for submitting homework and for sending you the results, cannot ever be changed. In my case, it turns out the CD (which includes a .pdf copy of the textbook anyway) was the important part of the purchase . . . and will not work since it's been used before. So be warned: don't buy the package used if you will need the software.
Rating: 
Summary: Software can only be used once
Review: I bought a used copy of the book and software at the beginning of the term, for a class. Now that we're starting it, I find out that a) we will be using the CD's software, including the online grading service, and therefore b) the copy I bought is useless to me. The grading service records one email address (i.e. that of the previous owner) per book number. That email, necessary for submitting homework and for sending you the results, cannot ever be changed. In my case, it turns out the CD (which includes a .pdf copy of the textbook anyway) was the important part of the purchase . . . and will not work since it's been used before. So be warned: don't buy the package used if you will need the software.
Rating:
Summary: Leaves something to be desired
Review: I bought this book for a class in my 1st quarter of my freshman year as a computer science student. The book does teach the logic system fairly well. However, the software that was written for use with the book was terrible! There were no help files whatsoever, so if you get stuck with something you're on your own. So, if you have to take a class that uses this book, you're still going to have to buy it. Just be ready for some struggles with some of the software.
Rating:
Summary: Leaves something to be desired
Review: I bought this book for a class in my 1st quarter of my freshman year as a computer science student. The book does teach the logic system fairly well. However, the software that was written for use with the book was terrible! There were no help files whatsoever, so if you get stuck with something you're on your own. So, if you have to take a class that uses this book, you're still going to have to buy it. Just be ready for some struggles with some of the software.
Rating: 
Summary: A great logic book with a fantastic feed back mechanism.
Review: I was recommended this recently book while visiting my old Philosophy Advisor while in Boston. I've been hooked ever since! While for me it has been a great review of logic, the problems and ability to have them anonymously graded on the net is great fun! At the end of chapter 3 one is already versed well enough in logic to use the more complicated search engines with boolean operators. (altavista advanced for example). Being able to use sophisticated search engines will prove to be more and more valuable and this book offers so much more. Along with a rich and entertaining text, you get a (WindowsXP friendly) CD including four software applications: (Tarski's world, Fitch, Boole and Submit) all with the goal of making logic more interactive. Tarksi's world offers a view of 3D geometric objects in which one is required to make true, then valid and eventually sound conclusions. Fitch is a tool that lets one build FOL (First Order Logic) Proofs. Boole is a truth table tool. All applications compliment each other and are suppoted by Submit on the client side and Grade Grinder on the Server Side. So that one is never left too long without some feedback on whether or not the section has been understood. The books website offers additional tips and hints.
Rating:
Summary: A great logic book with a fantastic feed back mechanism.
Review: I was recommended this recently book while visiting my old Philosophy Advisor while in Boston. I've been hooked ever since! While for me it has been a great review of logic, the problems and ability to have them anonymously graded on the net is great fun! At the end of chapter 3 one is already versed well enough in logic to use the more complicated search engines with boolean operators. (altavista advanced for example). Being able to use sophisticated search engines will prove to be more and more valuable and this book offers so much more. Along with a rich and entertaining text, you get a (WindowsXP friendly) CD including four software applications: (Tarski's world, Fitch, Boole and Submit) all with the goal of making logic more interactive. Tarksi's world offers a view of 3D geometric objects in which one is required to make true, then valid and eventually sound conclusions. Fitch is a tool that lets one build FOL (First Order Logic) Proofs. Boole is a truth table tool. All applications compliment each other and are suppoted by Submit on the client side and Grade Grinder on the Server Side. So that one is never left too long without some feedback on whether or not the section has been understood. The books website offers additional tips and hints.
Rating:
Summary: A very good text book
Review: It is a very good book for teaching of logic, IT has a clear sustained way in which it explains how logic works related to meaining. It will be an excellent text book for students learning formal methods in computer science.
Rating:
Summary: Software is frustrating but ultimately helpful
Review: Stanford uses this book in its two introductory philosophy classes (philosophy 57 and phil 159). It is appropriate for students without much exposure to math or computer science, as it is very verbose--much more so than Enderton's _Mathematical Logic_ for example. Students found the software initially frustrating, and the instructor interface can also be harder to use than it should be, but in the end it is worth it. I handed out a survey at the end of one course and the students generally thought the software was helpful and shouldn't be omitted. Showing the students what to do can be helpful. I just took part of a class period and went through (using laptop+projector) installing the software, building a world, writing a sentence, submitting a few exercises, and getting feeback by email. Oh, and even if the software [was bad], instructors w/o TAs would probably still love it, as 2/3rds of the exercises can be graded automatically.
Rating:
Summary: Software is frustrating but ultimately helpful
Review: Stanford uses this book in its two introductory philosophy classes (philosophy 57 and phil 159). It is appropriate for students without much exposure to math or computer science, as it is very verbose--much more so than Enderton's _Mathematical Logic_ for example. Students found the software initially frustrating, and the instructor interface can also be harder to use than it should be, but in the end it is worth it. I handed out a survey at the end of one course and the students generally thought the software was helpful and shouldn't be omitted. Showing the students what to do can be helpful. I just took part of a class period and went through (using laptop+projector) installing the software, building a world, writing a sentence, submitting a few exercises, and getting feeback by email. Oh, and even if the software [was bad], instructors w/o TAs would probably still love it, as 2/3rds of the exercises can be graded automatically.
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