Comments on: Straight and Crooked Thinking

By: unspun

unspun — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 13:00:44 +0000

@Musashi: Wasn’t aware of that link but thanks for letting me know.

Agree that politicians. public figures and the media — as well as some bloggers — should be submitted to the 38 points.

But now we have blogs don’t we where we can indeed subject them to a Thouless test. That way we’ll influence at least five readers each but you knw what they say about a journey of a thousand miles…

By: Musashi

Musashi — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 19:08:31 +0000

http://www.246.dk/38tricks.html
This website with the 38 dishonest tricks has been around for many years.
You really ought to give credit or at least link to it.

I’ve thought for many years that all arguments from all politicians/public servants and the media should be subjected to these 38 points for an honesty check.

Robert Thouless’s book has been out of print for many years now.

By: Michael Chick

Michael Chick — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 04:47:52 +0000

What a coincidence !! I just found the book 2 days ago at Bras Basah, Singapore, and then I stumbled upon this thread !!! I bought it for a mere SG$3 !! After which I also got a 20% discount. So I basically paid SG$ 2.40 for the book. It was such a “steal”. My copy is the 1964 version. Oldest known version is 1956. Although not in mint condition, this pan piper paperback has yellowed with age, and resembles a very old “Hardy Boys” paperback.

One cannot help but get a whiff of the typical “old library book” type smell wafting with every turn of this 188-page “antique”.

By: Dishonest argument #1: Use of emotionally toned words « Unspun

Dishonest argument #1: Use of emotionally toned words « Unspun — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 00:11:08 +0000

[...] November 22, 2007 in stuff Tags: critical thinking At the request of reader Bonar, Unspun starts today a series elaborating the dishonest tricks used in argument, as outlined by R.H. Thouless in his book Straight and Crooked Thinking. [...]

By: Daphne Ling

Daphne Ling — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 02:31:27 +0000

Hi Unspun,

Oooh…Thanks for the clarification…I always thought pages was abbreviated as pg or just plain p (but then again, some books use p as paragraph)…=) Hehe…

By: unspun

unspun — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 01:44:55 +0000

@Daphne: Yeah. It’s way cool and has helped Unspun recognize many dishonest tricks when in arguments. If you want to practice identifying dishonest tricks in arguments a good place to start is Jakchat.com. pp=pages. Don’t know why it is and would welcome any explanation why pages is abbreviated such.

By: Daphne Ling

Daphne Ling — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 09:47:59 +0000

Hi Unspun,

Wow…Cool book by the sounds of it…I’ll go look it up!

I have a stupid question…Erm, what’s pp? =)

PS: I found your blog from the mass (reply) email you sent out…=)

By: zorro

zorro — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 08:07:28 +0000

Thanks buddy….will get the book soonest.

By: Mat Salo

Mat Salo — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 05:43:29 +0000

Thanks for the heads-up, HC… But the “charlatan” business was a bit below the belt, eh?

By: galadriel

galadriel — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 03:48:54 +0000

great tricks to have up one’s sleeve, especially for erstwhile hapless but earnest bloggers like moi. Thank u mate!