backwards

Tracing the cause backwards was helpful reading over because people use this reasoning all the time to try and put blame on someone else besides them. In the example from the book, the dog was the last reason to wake Dick up, but the process of looking back and find out the reason to each eventually makes one forget the main reason in the first place. It makes sense as to why someone would keep trying to figure out the reasoning to an action, but it is also silly to do so because the reasoning is never ending.  Sticking to the most recent cause is the best because it is the freshest cause and most recent evidence.