The Top LSAT Prep Books Available Forum

[GoGetIt]

Excluding all Powerscore Bibles; List by rank, what you feel are the best prep books out there. Explain your reasons for listing each book. Also, if you'd like to, elaborate further on why your books are better than others that you don't chose to list.

[LSAT Blog]

A Rulebook for Arguments (by Anthony Weston) is incredibly succinct (a small-sized book and ~100 pages). It does a good job at explaining common logical fallacies. He was inspired by Strunk and White's Elements of Style. The book's not written specifically for the LSAT, but I think it's worth a read for Logical Reasoning.

[typ3]

It depends on the prep method,

If you're doing the Pithy Pike one or the updated one I posted earlier, then I would say

1. Atlas Guides or any prep company book to get your feet wet and develop your methods.
2. Grouping Books (Cambridge, Traciela, or Kaplan Mastery)
3. Recent Prep Tests 38-60 to take in full.

Do the books in this order.

[longdaysjourney]

I think that the rulebook for arguments is too elementary, the new version of Informal Logic by Walton is good.

[typ3]

I think that the rulebook for arguments is too elementary, the new version of Informal Logic by Walton is good.

Walton is ok, but sometimes it's easy to get lost in his writing. Although I do agree his book is superior to Steve's Suggestion.

I don't think you need either, I bought Walton as an ebook, but stopped reading about half way through. In the same amount of time one spends reading Walton, you could read the flaw part of LRB and nearly get the same information.

[GoGetIt]

It depends on the prep method,


Cambridge.

I've been hearing about this book a lot. Can you explain what this book consists of? What areas is it designed to strengthen? Ect..

[LSAT Blog]

I think that the rulebook for arguments is too elementary, the new version of Informal Logic by Walton is good.

Walton is ok, but sometimes it's easy to get lost in his writing. Although I do agree his book is superior to Steve's Suggestion.

I don't think you need either, I bought Walton as an ebook, but stopped reading about half way through. In the same amount of time one spends reading Walton, you could read the flaw part of LRB and nearly get the same information.

I've reviewed and recommended both the Rulebook and Walton's book. I agree that the Rulebook is simple, but some people want something basic. It just depends on what sort of book you seek and your current understanding of logical fallacies and reasoning.

It depends on the prep method,


Cambridge.

I've been hearing about this book a lot. Can you explain what this book consists of? What areas is it designed to strengthen? Ect..

It breaks down various questions by type, just as the other grouped by type books do (like Traciela and Kaplan Mastery Practice), rather than presenting them as sections, as the PrepTests do.

This way, you can focus on a particular question-type by drilling it, rather than completing the questions in the traditional full 35-minute sections.

[cowgirl_bebop]

I dont know about being the "top" but one of the books that personally helped me was the "Conquering the LSAT Logic Games" by McGraw-Hill. Now, I know what everyone is going to say, but it broke each game type down to the bare bones and presented things as simply as possible. I was STRUGGLING with games in my prep, and I think it was because I was doing them and still having trouble with the fundamentals of the games. I was missing simple deductions that would have saved me a ton of time.
After working through those problems both freely, timed at 8.5 minutes, and timed at 5 minutes, it made HUGE difference, not only in my prep, but on test day. So if you, like me, need help understanding the broader points of games, I would recommend it.