If you’re like me, you may have never studied formal logic in college or elsewhere. This can be a major handicap on the GMAT, and its definitely one area that the traditional courses cover too quickly for you to really master the material.

A lot of GMAT questions start with “logically” or “identify the logical fallacy” or similar language. This is not the same use of the word “logical” that you are used to in your day-to-day speaking.  Formal logic has a very specific set of rules that must be followed and conditions that must be met. These are not necessarily intuitive, so those on the path to GMAT Mastery will seek outside resources.

I checked Logic Made Easy: How to Know When Language Deceives You, from the public library as part of my GMAT preparation.  It basically says the same thing over and over again: If A then B does not mean if B then A. However, there are many more complicated ways in which this basic statement can be hidden from view, causing you to trip up during the high pressure atmosphere of the GMAT.

 If you are having trouble with the verbal section of the GMAT, find a book on logic.  This one is a good place to start:

The most helpful book I found in my GMAT preparation, bar none. Most people taking this test rely on Kaplan, Princeton Review and then then think they’ve done enough. But those traveling the path to GMAT Mastery want to do better than everybody else.  So you’ll have to find references that nobody else has found (except fellow travelers on the path–don’t worry, there’s not many readers of this site yet!).

So are you really ready to walk that path of mastery? To do what it takes to boost your score by 50 or 100 points?  If so, then this book is the right place to start.  I’m not going to lie, it’s boring.  It’s a textbook! But it’s not just any old textbook. I am convinced this is the textbook that the test writer’s for the GMAT Critical Reasoning study when they are preparing this test.

If you are having trouble stating premises, identifying assumptions or are struggiling with other aspects of the critical reasoning section, go out and get this book right away.

Fortunately I found it at my local public library because I wouldn’t have forked over the $33.30 that Amazon is asking.  Having used this in my studying to such great success, however, I would definitely spend the $33 if I were starting over today.

This should be a core part of your GMAT extracurriculars–those additions to the normal study routine that set GMAT Masters aside from the rest.  The people who write the GMAT are masters of using statistics to trick you into choosing the wrong answer. This book will help you identify some of the most common devices used to do this.

The fact is, our brains evolved in the Pleiostene. We do wonderfully when acting on data that is immediately in front of us (huge animal with sharp teeth—RUN!).  However, when dealing with the abstract data of probability and statistics, we fail miserably. We simply weren’t wired for it.

How to Lie with Statistics is your guide to overcoming some of the most common pitfalls. At about 120 pages, it’s a fun afternoon read that packs a lot of punch when it comes to taking the GMAT.  The insights are important in preparing you for the inevitable trick questions on both the math and verbal sections of the test.

Buy it on Amazon: