What is critical thinking (and why does it matter?)?
PART ONE: THE ART AND SCIENCE OF BEING REASONABLE
Chapter 1: Understanding the reasons behind things
Chapter 2: Spelling out arguments and assumptions
Chapter 3: Reasoning with logic and certainty
Chapter 4: Reasoning with observation and uncertainty
Chapter 5: Developing explanations and theories
Chapter 6: Assessing evidence and planning your reading
strategy
PART TWO: BEING REASONABLE IN AN UNREASONABLE WORLD
Chapter 7: Getting to grips with rhetoric
Chapter 8: Seeing through faulty reasoning
Chapter 9: Understanding cognitive bias
Chapter 10: Overcoming bias in yourself and others
Chapter 11: Thinking critically about technology
Chapter 12: Putting it all together: critical thinking in study,
work and life
Dr Tom Chatfield is a British author, independent scholar and philosopher of technology. His textbooks for SAGE publishing include Critical Thinking, How To Think and Think Critically. He’s also the author of half a dozen non-fiction books exploring digital culture, published in over thirty territories and languages; of an award-winning thriller, This Is Gomorrah (Hodder); and of books and educational resources for audiences ranging from K12 to graduate and business schools. Tom took his doctorate at St John’s College, Oxford, and is a former Associate at the Oxford Internet Institute, guest faculty member at the Said Business School, and senior Associate at the interdisciplinary think-tank Perspectiva. A TED Global speaker, Non Executive Director and Advisor at a number of not-for-profits, he writes and broadcasts internationally on technology, ethics and education.
This primer on critical thinking expertly introduces reasoning,
argumentation, rhetoric, and bias, and how understanding those
concepts can make us better readers, researchers, and
writers. Chatfield chooses just the right combination of
formal writing and casual address, creating the feeling that
readers are learning from a trusted, witty friend.
*Michelle Glatt*
Tom Chatfield’s Critical Thinking contains sensible, grounded
examples, and illustrations...serving as a useful primer to
the subject. This is a book happy to be written on, queried and
argued with. The exercises sprinkled throughout are well judged and
encourage a deep reading. The consistency of tone and design
make it an impressive achievement, bringing light and clarity to an
area which can present as murky and vague. I recommend it strongly.
It will certainly be a useful addition to the teaching materials my
school already uses, but its appeal goes well beyond classroom
walls due to its breadth, depth and the clarity of its outlook...I
would be very happy to see students and colleagues alike walking
around campus with dog-eared, annotated and bookmarked copies of
Critical Thinking.
*Tim Jones*
I can’t stress enough what an excellent addition this is to a
rather - what I thought, anyway – saturated market. Well done to
all involved! It’s a very comprehensive text, and one which I’d
happily recommend to staff and students alike. I’ll certainly be
drawing inspiration from it when building class resources in
future.
*Sunny Dhillon*
Some people are naturally gifted critical thinkers (and, if you’re
a researcher, it’s pretty hard to advance without some skill in
that area) but for those who need to rethink their thinking or want
a crash course in how to develop and hone their analysis skills,
Tom Chatfield’s new book is well worth picking up… The engaging
workbook-style layout helps keep the information being imparted
consistently interesting and fun to absorb.
*Joseph Rydholm*
I was pleasantly surprised to discover how accessible and engaging
this book is. Some other texts on the topic can be daunting and
challenging to read, with concepts not always being easy to grasp.
However, the subject is presented in a user friendly way.
*Andrew Southgate*
Tom Chatfield’s Critical Thinking is probably the most essential
book I’ve ever read. Not because it offers groundbreaking insights,
but because it makes you stop and think, in a world whose pace is
ever-increasing. If you’re new to academia, the book prepares you
for the challenges of evaluating established theories and forming
cohesive, convincing and sound arguments of your own.
*Ludwig, 1st Year International Management*
The book provides you with hands-on skills that are directly
applicable. Not only are they put forth through real-life example
arguments, but they are strongly reinforced by academic arguments
and grounding. [Chatfield] deconstructs complicated concepts to its
simplest form and renders it accessible to anyone that wishes to
delve into their own mind and practices.
*Luca, 2nd Year Management*
Critical thinking is a greatly valued skill for employability and
Chatfield emphasises the importance of being skeptical. Information
presented to us should be questioned and evaluated, especially in a
world where vast amounts of information are available at our
fingertips. The book successfully achieves its aim of helping one
be able to think critically for themselves in order to both benefit
your own work and challenge the works of others.
*Marina, 1st Year Management*
Tom Chatfield has excelled at the way to interact with the
independent learner in this book by explaining not just the skill
of critical thinking, but the reasons behind its need in the
day-to-day life. ‘Critical Thinking’ will leave one with a
universal skill which is crucial to any millennial in the modern
world. A perfect guide to better learning and beyond.
*Yan, 1st Year Computer and Management Sciences*
This is a very comprehensive, well elaborated and clearly
structured book. It provides readers with systematically organized
concepts and skills to improve their critical thinking in an easily
accessible way, laying a vital foundation for their future academic
study, professional work and life. It is especially helpful for the
first-year college students who are about to embark on their
academic life.
*Shuo Zhao, CAES, Surrey International Institute (SII), Dongbei
University of Finance and Economics (DUFE), Dalian, China*
‘Critical thinking’ is easy to read with an engaging
format. As a researcher, I think it will be useful for
thinking about written and verbal arguments: helping readers make
and recognise an argument, and understand when a valid argument
isn’t being made.
*Imogen Birch, senior researcher, Citizens Advice*
The best illustrated and typeset book in academic publishing.
*Lee Fallin*
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