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Any other source for logical reasoning?

imtryinggggggimtryingggggg Core Member

I'm having trouble with logical reasoning especially the weakening questions. I was wondering do you guys use any other source to understand logical reasoning?

Comments

  • trevorNYCgoaltrevorNYCgoal Core Member
    304 karma

    I've been using "The LSAT Trainer" by Mike Kim in conjunction with 7Sage. 7Sage is my primary study tool, the Trainer is something I do in addition to receive an additional perspective and to find another way to continue practicing.

    Keep in mind that using two sources might employ slightly different methods that can be confusing. But generally, what I like about the Trainer is that it takes a far simpler approach. I think "simpler" would scare away many 7Sage users and personally I far prefer 7Sage to the Trainer. That being said, why I recommend it is that it offers a refresher on the fundamentals of LR that may be beneficial to you. Certainly worth checking out!

  • silver77-1silver77-1 Member
    49 karma

    Loophole by Ellen Cassidy!

  • sh.francissh.francis Core Member
    246 karma

    I read power score LGB, LSAT trainer and Loophole all within the last month so I can offer a comparison of the pros and cons.

    PS LGB
    Pros
    - most comprehensive of the 3
    - very thorough treatment of indicator words
    - the best explanation of conditional reasoning
    - the answer explanations are incredibly good and detailed; which is one of the best parts of the book. it really helps you get into the mind of a high scorer

    Cons
    - the most densely written, concepts are explained in a way that's harder to understand then it needs to be
    - overemphasis on identifying question types before you've even learned how to solve questions; would advise skipping these drills entirely
    - if you're having trouble some topics might go too in depth for what you need eg. conditional logic. it will help for LG though.

    Neutral
    - they have a very specific detailed, powerful, but mechanical framework for solving each question type. I can see how it could work well for some but it was just too much work for me to memorize and apply directly. I do better just thinking intuitively.

    Overall
    If I could only have one book of the 3 and I have a lot of time this would be the one.

    Loophole
    Neutral
    - the writing style is the polar opposite of LGB. where LGB is academic and dry Loophole is very lighthearted and silly.

    Pros
    - there's some really good drills and concepts on how to read and understand a stimulus more efficiently
    - very helpful in identifying premise and conclusion
    - the sections on conditional logic are introduced in a way that explains what various words do. its much easier to understand than LGB but not as comprehensive
    - their "CLIR" approach has you look for specific things depending on what type of stimulus it is. it's an intentional form of active reading. this was the most important takeaway from the book.

    Cons
    - its not comprehensive and there's a lot of gaps.
    - the actual strategy on how to solve specific question types is much weaker than LGB
    - some of the high level strategies I found to be not very robust (they have something called the powerful provable framework which didn't jive for me)
    - its just not deep enough in a lot of areas

    Overall
    - this is a great companion book to supplement your studying, there's a lot of helpful tidbits but I wouldn't rely on it as a primary source for LR

    Master the LSAT

    Overall
    - If I could only have one book and I didn't have a lot of time I would pick this one.
    - density is somewhere between LGB and Loophole

    Pros
    - its very efficient and to the point, medium depth
    - if you're blending your study of all 3 sections at once it has a very nice progression that moves you back and forth through the sections in an intuitive way
    - the author's commentary on the test and mindset I found useful

    Cons
    - there's nothing in this book that wouldn't be covered if you read the other two
    - the explanations of the correct answers are sometimes horribly lacking

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