books on critical thinking and reasoning

17 Best Books On Logic And Critical Thinking

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“The ability to think critically and logically is an essential skill everyone should possess. It allows us to evaluate information and arguments objectively, make informed decisions, and communicate effectively. With so much information at our fingertips, it can be challenging to determine what is credible and relevant. That’s why it’s crucial to have a solid foundation in logic and critical thinking.

In this blog post, we’ll introduce you to 17 of the best books on logic and critical thinking that will help you develop your reasoning skills, think more deeply, and approach problems with clarity and precision. Whether you’re a student, professional, or lifelong learner, these books offer practical advice, thought-provoking exercises, and real-world examples to help you master the art of critical thinking.”

Table of Contents

Best Books On Logic And Critical Thinking

1. thinking, fast and slow by daniel kahneman.

“Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman is a book that explores the workings of the human mind and how it influences our decision-making and behavior. It provides insights into how our minds make automatic, intuitive judgments and decisions and how these can sometimes lead to errors in thinking. The book is based on decades of research in the field of psychology and behavioral economics, and is written in a clear and accessible style.

Here are the key points from the book:

Dual Process Theory : The book introduces the idea of two systems of thinking – System 1 and System 2. System 1 is fast, automatic, and intuitive, while System 2 is slow, deliberate, and effortful. Kahneman argues that our decisions and actions are often driven by System 1 thinking, which can lead to biases and errors.
Heuristics and Biases : Heuristics are mental shortcuts that we use to make quick judgments and decisions. These can be useful in many situations but can also lead to biases and errors in thinking. The book discusses various heuristics, such as the availability heuristic (judging the probability of an event based on how easily examples come to mind), the anchoring effect (the tendency to rely too heavily on the first piece of information encountered), and the framing effect (the way that different ways of presenting information can influence our decisions).
Overconfidence : Kahneman argues that we are often overconfident in our judgments and predictions and that this can lead to poor decisions. He provides examples from various fields, such as medicine and finance, to show how overconfidence can lead to errors.
The Role of Emotions : The book explores the role that emotions play in our decision-making. Kahneman argues that emotions can influence our thinking and that we are often not aware of this influence.
The Limits of Rationality : The book challenges the idea that people are always rational and that decisions are always based on careful analysis. Instead, Kahneman argues that people often make decisions based on intuition and emotions and that these decisions are not always rational.
The Role of Experiences : The book highlights the importance of experiences in shaping our thinking and behavior. Kahneman argues that our experiences can influence our beliefs and attitudes and that we often rely on these experiences to make decisions.
The Importance of Awareness : The book emphasizes the importance of awareness in avoiding biases and errors in thinking. Kahneman argues that by being aware of our biases and heuristics, we can reduce their influence and make better decisions.

In conclusion, “Thinking, Fast and Slow” is a fascinating book that provides insights into the workings of the human mind and how it influences our behavior.

2. Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely

“Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions” by Dan Ariely is a book that explores the ways in which our decisions are influenced by factors other than rational thinking. The book is based on the author’s extensive research in the field of behavioral economics, and it challenges the traditional economic view of humans as rational decision-makers.

Irrationality : The book argues that humans are not always rational in their decision-making, and that there are many factors that can influence our choices. Ariely explores these factors and provides examples of how they can lead to predictable irrationality in our behavior.
Anchoring : The author discusses the concept of anchoring, which refers to the way that our first exposure to a piece of information can influence our subsequent thinking and decision-making. Ariely provides examples of how anchoring can lead to predictable irrationality in our behavior, such as the way that people are willing to pay more for a product if they are first shown a higher price.
Context : The book highlights the importance of context in shaping our behavior and influencing our decisions. Ariely argues that our choices are often influenced by the context in which they are made, and that this can lead to predictable irrationality.
Social Norms : The author explores the role of social norms in shaping our behavior and decisions. Ariely argues that social norms can influence our behavior in ways that are not always rational, and that we often make decisions based on what is socially acceptable rather than what is in our best interest.
The Influence of Emotions : Ariely argues that emotions play a key role in shaping our decisions and that we are often not aware of the influence that emotions have on our behavior. He provides examples of how emotions can lead to predictable irrationality, such as the way that people are more likely to make decisions based on their feelings rather than on rational considerations.
The Power of Free : The author explores the concept of “free,” and how it can influence our behavior and decisions. Ariely argues that people often place a higher value on things that are free, and that this can lead to predictable irrationality in our behavior.
The Influence of Scarcity : Ariely discusses the role of scarcity in shaping our behavior and decisions, and how the availability of a limited resource can lead to predictable irrationality. He provides examples of how scarcity can influence our behavior, such as the way that people are willing to pay more for a product when it is in short supply.

In conclusion, “Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions” is a thought-provoking book that challenges traditional views of human rationality and provides insights into the many factors that can influence our behavior and decisions. The book is written in a clear and accessible style, and is recommended for anyone interested in psychology, economics, and the science of decision-making. It’s one of the best critical thinking books that you should check out.

3. The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli

“The Art of Thinking Clearly” by Rolf Dobelli is a book that explores the ways in which our thinking can be biased, and provides practical tips for improving our decision-making and critical thinking skills. The book covers a wide range of topics, including cognitive biases, logical fallacies, and other common pitfalls that can lead to poor decision-making.

Here are some key points from the book:

Cognitive Biases : The book discusses a variety of cognitive biases, including confirmation bias, sunk cost fallacy, and availability bias. Dobelli explains how these biases can influence our thinking and decision-making and provides examples of how they can lead to poor decisions.
Logical Fallacies : The author covers a range of logical fallacies, including ad hominem arguments, false dichotomies, and slippery slopes. He explains how these fallacies can be used to mislead and how to recognize them to improve your critical thinking skills.
The Importance of Probabilities : Dobelli emphasizes the importance of understanding probabilities and how they can influence our thinking and decision-making. He provides tips for improving our understanding of probabilities, such as avoiding overconfidence and avoiding the false belief that a low-probability event is unlikely to happen.
The Power of Framing : The book explores the role of framing in shaping our perceptions and decisions and how different ways of presenting information can lead to very different decisions. Dobelli provides examples of how framing can influence our thinking, such as the way that people are more likely to support a policy if it is framed in terms of benefits rather than costs.
The Impact of Emotions : The author discusses the role of emotions in shaping our thinking and decision-making and how they can lead to irrational behavior. He provides tips for reducing the influence of emotions, such as using logic and reason to make decisions and avoiding emotional appeals.
The Importance of Simplicity : Dobelli argues that simplicity is key to effective thinking and decision-making and that we should strive to keep our thinking simple and avoid over-complicating issues. He provides tips for simplifying our thinking, such as avoiding distractions, focusing on the most important information, and avoiding overly complex explanations.
The Role of Intuition : The author discusses the role of intuition in our decision-making and how it can be both useful and misleading. He provides tips for improving our intuition, such as exposing ourselves to a variety of experiences and avoiding over-reliance on intuition.

In conclusion, “The Art of Thinking Clearly” is a practical and accessible guide to improving your critical thinking skills and decision-making abilities. The book covers a wide range of topics and provides actionable advice for avoiding common pitfalls and biases. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone interested in improving your thinking skills, this book is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to be a more effective thinker.

4. Weaponized Lies How to Think Critically in the Post-Truth Era by Daniel J. Levitin

“Weaponized Lies: How to Think Critically in the Post-Truth Era” by Daniel J. Levitin is a book that explores the dangers of misinformation and propaganda, and provides practical tips for improving critical thinking and decision-making skills in the digital age.

Below are the key points from the book:

The Rise of Misinformation : Levitin discusses the proliferation of misinformation in the digital age and how it can be used to manipulate public opinion and spread false information. He provides examples of how misinformation has been used to distort public discourse and the impact that this can have on modern society.
The Science of Thinking : Levitin draws on the latest research in cognitive psychology and neuroscience to explain why it is so difficult to think critically in the face of misinformation. He provides an overview of the ways in which our brain processes information and how this can lead to biases and misunderstandings.
The Power of Narratives : Levitin explains how narratives can be used to manipulate public opinion, and provides tips for identifying false narratives and breaking down complex information into more manageable pieces.
The Importance of Evidence : The author emphasizes the importance of evidence in critical thinking and provides tips for evaluating the credibility of sources and using data to make informed decisions. He discusses the role of intuition and gut feelings in decision-making and how to distinguish between intuition that is based on solid evidence and intuition that is based on false or misleading information.
The Role of Emotions : Levitin discusses the role of emotions in shaping our thinking and decision-making and provides tips for reducing the influence of emotions in order to think more critically. He explains how emotions can be used to manipulate public opinion and provides examples of how propaganda and misinformation can play on our emotions to spread false information.
The Need for Digital Literacy : Levitin argues that digital literacy is essential in the post-truth era and provides tips for improving digital literacy skills, such as evaluating the credibility of sources, identifying misinformation, and using data to make informed decisions.
The Importance of Diversity : The author emphasizes the importance of diversity in critical thinking and provides tips for seeking out a diversity of perspectives and avoiding echo chambers. He explains how diversity can help us to identify false narratives and think more critically about the information that we are presented with.

In conclusion, “Weaponized Lies: How to Think Critically in the Post-Truth Era” is an important and timely book that provides practical advice for improving critical thinking skills in the face of misinformation and propaganda. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone interested in improving your critical thinking skills, this book is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to be better equipped to navigate the complex and often misleading information landscape of the digital age.

5. Critical Thinking Your Guide to Effective Argument, Successful Analysis and Independent Study by Tom Chatfield

“Critical Thinking: Your Guide to Effective Argument, Successful Analysis, and Independent Study” by Tom Chatfield is a comprehensive guide to improving critical thinking skills. The book covers a wide range of topics, including argumentation, analysis, and independent study, and provides practical advice and exercises for putting critical or irrational thinking skills into practice.

The Fundamentals of Critical Thinking : Chatfield provides an overview of the basics of critical thinking, including its definition, its importance, and its applications. He explains how critical thinking skills can be used to analyze information, make informed decisions, and argue effectively.
The Art of Argument : Chatfield provides a comprehensive guide to argumentation, including the structure of arguments, the different types of arguments, and the techniques used to make and rebut arguments. He also provides tips for avoiding common pitfalls in argumentation, such as fallacies, and for constructing effective and persuasive arguments.
The Power of Analysis : Chatfield discusses the importance of analysis in critical thinking and provides tips for approaching and analyzing information in a systematic and thorough manner. He covers a range of analytical techniques, including inductive and deductive reasoning, as well as strategies for organizing and synthesizing information.
Independent Study : The author provides guidance for developing independent study skills, including setting goals, managing time, and staying motivated. He also discusses the importance of self-reflection and self-assessment in the learning process and provides tips for monitoring progress and improving skills over time.
Overcoming Barriers to Critical Thinking : Chatfield explores some of the common barriers to critical thinking, such as cognitive biases, emotional reactions, and logical fallacies. He provides tips for recognizing and overcoming these barriers and for developing a critical thinking mindset.
Putting Critical Thinking into Practice : The author provides practical exercises and real-world examples to help readers put their critical thinking skills into practice. He covers a range of topics, including evaluating sources, analyzing data, constructing arguments, and developing independent study skills.

In conclusion, “Critical Thinking: Your Guide to Effective Argument, Successful Analysis, and Independent Study” is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to improve their critical thinking skills. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone interested in developing your analytical abilities, this book provides a comprehensive guide to critical thinking and a wealth of practical advice and exercises for putting these skills into practice.

6. The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking by Edward B. Burger

“The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking” by Edward B. Burger is a comprehensive guide to developing effective thinking skills. The book provides a step-by-step framework for approaching problems, making decisions, and solving problems and is designed for anyone looking to improve their thinking abilities.

Element 1: Understanding : Burger introduces the first element of effective thinking, understanding, and explains why it is the foundation of all effective thinking. He provides tips for gaining a deep understanding of problems and concepts and for breaking down complex ideas into simple parts.
Element 2: Exploring Possibilities : The second element of effective thinking is exploring possibilities. Burger explains how to generate a wide range of ideas and options for solving problems and provides tips for evaluating and selecting the best solution.
Element 3: Reasoning and Argument : The third element of effective thinking is reasoning and argument. Burger discusses the importance of logical reasoning in problem-solving, and provides tips for constructing and evaluating arguments. He also covers common logical fallacies and how to avoid them.
Element 4: Re-evaluating and Reflecting : The fourth element of effective thinking is re-evaluating and reflecting. Burger explains why it’s important to continually re-evaluate and reflect on one’s thinking, and provides tips for improving critical thinking skills over time.
Element 5: Engaging and Persisting : The final element of effective thinking is engaging and persisting. Burger discusses the importance of perseverance and determination in problem-solving, and provides tips for staying motivated and engaged in the face of obstacles and setbacks.

Throughout the book, Burger provides real-world examples and case studies to illustrate the five elements of effective thinking in action. He covers a range of topics, including mathematics, science, and everyday problem-solving.

In conclusion, “The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking” is a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their thinking skills. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone interested in developing your problem-solving abilities, this book provides a comprehensive guide to effective thinking and a wealth of practical advice and exercises for putting these skills into practice. It’s one of the best books on critical thinking that you can read.

7. Think Smarter Critical Thinking to Improve Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Skills by Michael Kallet

“Think Smarter: Critical Thinking to Improve Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Skills” by Michael Kallet is a comprehensive guide for developing critical thinking skills. The book provides a step-by-step framework for approaching problems, making decisions, and solving problems and is designed for anyone looking to improve their thinking abilities.

Here are the key points from this critical thinking book:

Understanding Critical Thinking : Kallet introduces the concept of critical thinking and explains why it is an essential skill for problem-solving and decision-making. He provides an overview of the key components of critical thinking, including reasoning, logic, and problem-solving.
Mindsets and Approaches : The book discusses the importance of the right mindset and approach in problem-solving and decision-making. Kallet provides tips for developing a growth mindset, and explains how to approach problems with an open and flexible mindset.
Analytical Tools and Techniques : Kallet provides a range of analytical tools and techniques for improving critical thinking skills, including SWOT analysis, root cause analysis, and decision trees. He explains how to use these tools to identify and analyze problems, and provides tips for selecting the most effective tool for a given problem.
Problem-Solving and Decision-Making : The book covers the key steps involved in problem-solving and decision-making, from defining the problem to implementing a solution. Kallet provides tips for breaking down complex problems into smaller, more manageable parts, and for evaluating and selecting the best solution.
Communication and Collaboration : Kallet explains the importance of effective communication and collaboration in problem-solving and decision-making, and provides tips for improving communication skills. He covers topics such as active listening, feedback, and conflict resolution.
Overcoming Barriers and Improving Critical Thinking Skills : The book concludes by discussing common barriers to critical thinking and problem solving and provides strategies for overcoming these barriers. Kallet provides tips for improving critical and strategic thinking skills over time, including self-reflection and continuous learning.
Real-world Applications : Throughout the book, Kallet provides real-world examples and case studies to illustrate the key concepts and techniques in action. He covers a range of topics, including business , finance, and everyday problem-solving.

In conclusion, “Think Smarter: Critical Thinking to Improve Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Skills” is a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their thinking skills.

8. A Rulebook for Arguments by Anthony Weston

“A Rulebook for Arguments” by Anthony Weston is a comprehensive guide to constructing and evaluating arguments. The book provides a concise and accessible introduction to the principles of critical thinking and argumentation, and is designed for students, professionals, and anyone interested in improving their reasoning skills.

Understanding Arguments : Weston introduces the concept of arguments and explains why they are an essential component of critical thinking. He provides an overview of the key components of arguments, including premises, conclusions, and evidence.
Reasoning and Evidence : The book discusses the importance of reasoning and evidence in constructing arguments, and provides tips for evaluating the strength of arguments. Weston explains how to identify and analyze arguments, and provides tips for constructing arguments that are supported by sound reasoning and evidence.
Logical Fallacies : Weston covers common logical fallacies and explains how to identify and avoid them in arguments. He provides a range of examples of fallacies, including ad hominem attacks, straw man arguments, and hasty generalizations.
Evaluating Arguments : The book covers the key steps involved in evaluating arguments, including identifying premises and conclusions, analyzing evidence, and evaluating reasoning. Weston provides tips for evaluating the strength of arguments, and explains how to detect and avoid flaws in reasoning.
Writing Arguments : The book concludes by discussing the importance of effective writing in argumentation, and provides tips for improving writing skills. Weston covers topics such as clarity, concision, and coherence, and provides tips for constructing well-supported arguments in written form.

In conclusion, “A Rulebook for Arguments” is a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their reasoning and argumentation skills. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone interested in developing your critical thinking abilities, this book provides a comprehensive guide to the principles of argumentation and a wealth of practical tips and techniques for constructing and evaluating arguments.

9. Thinking from A to Z Nigel Warburton

“Thinking from A to Z” by Nigel Warburton is a comprehensive guide to critical thinking, designed to help readers develop their reasoning and analytical skills. The book covers a wide range of topics, from the basics of argumentation and reasoning to more advanced concepts in philosophy and logic.

Introduction to Critical Thinking : Warburton provides an overview of critical thinking, explaining what it is and why it is important. He covers the key skills and abilities involved in critical thinking, including reasoning, analysis, and evaluation.
Basic Elements of Argumentation : The book covers the basics of argumentation, including the structure of arguments, the use of evidence, and the importance of coherence and clarity in writing. Warburton explains how to identify premises, conclusions, and evidence, and provides tips for constructing well-supported arguments.
Logical Fallacies : Warburton covers common logical fallacies and explains how to identify and avoid them in arguments. He provides a range of examples of fallacies, including ad hominem attacks, straw man arguments, and hasty generalizations.
Reasoning and Evidence : The book discusses the importance of reasoning and evidence in constructing arguments, and provides tips for evaluating the strength of arguments. Warburton explains how to analyze arguments and provides tips for evaluating the reasoning and evidence used in arguments.
Advanced Topics in Philosophy and Logic : In addition to the basics of critical thinking and argumentation, the book covers more advanced topics in philosophy and logic, including the nature of truth, inductive reasoning, and deductive reasoning. Warburton provides a clear and accessible introduction to these topics, making them accessible to readers with no prior knowledge of philosophy or logic.
Writing and Communication : The book concludes by discussing the importance of effective writing and communication in critical thinking. Warburton provides tips for improving writing skills, and explains how to construct well-supported arguments in written form.

In conclusion, “Thinking from A to Z” is a comprehensive and accessible guide to critical thinking and argumentation.

10. Critical Thinking: Your Guide to Effective Argument, Successful Analysis and Independent Study Tom Chatfield

“Critical Thinking: Your Guide to Effective Argument, Successful Analysis and Independent Study” by Tom Chatfield is a comprehensive guide to the skills and techniques of critical thinking. The book is designed to help readers develop their reasoning, analytical, and argumentation skills and to become more confident, independent thinkers.

Introduction to Critical Thinking : Chatfield provides an overview of critical thinking, explaining what it is and why it is important. He covers the key skills and abilities involved in critical thinking, including reasoning, analysis, and evaluation.
Understanding and Evaluating Arguments : The book covers the basics of argumentation, including the structure of arguments, the use of evidence, and the importance of coherence and clarity in writing. Chatfield explains how to identify premises, conclusions, and evidence and provides tips for evaluating the arguments of others.
Logical Fallacies : Chatfield covers common logical fallacies and explains how to identify and avoid them in arguments. He provides a range of examples of fallacies, including ad hominem attacks, straw man arguments, and hasty generalizations.
Reasoning and Evidence : The book discusses the importance of reasoning and evidence in constructing arguments, and provides tips for evaluating the strength of arguments. Chatfield explains how to analyze arguments and provides tips for evaluating the reasoning and evidence used in arguments.
Mindsets and Approaches to Problem-solving : The book covers a range of critical thinking strategies, including lateral thinking, mental models, and the importance of creativity and intuition. Chatfield provides practical advice on how to apply these strategies in real-world situations.
Real-world Applications : Throughout the book, Chatfield provides real-world examples and case studies to illustrate the key concepts and techniques in action. He covers a range of topics, including politics, business, and everyday argumentation.
Writing and Communication : The book concludes by discussing the importance of effective writing and communication in critical thinking. Chatfield provides tips for improving writing skills, and explains how to construct well-supported arguments in written form.

In conclusion, Chatfield provides a summary of the key concepts and skills covered in the book and provides a roadmap for continued learning and development in critical thinking.

11. Being Logical: A Guide to Good Thinking Dennis Q. McInerny

“Being Logical: A Guide to Good Thinking” by Dennis Q. McInerny is a comprehensive guide to the principles of logic and critical thinking. The book is designed to help readers develop their reasoning skills, become more effective problem-solvers, and make better decisions in their daily lives.

Introduction to Logic : McInerny provides an overview of logic, explaining what it is and why it is important. He covers the basic principles of logic, including the law of non-contradiction, the law of excluded middle, and the principle of identity.
Fallacies and Common Mistakes in Reasoning : The book covers common fallacies and mistakes in reasoning, including ad hominem attacks, straw man arguments, and hasty generalizations. McInerny explains how to identify and avoid these fallacies in your own thinking and in the arguments of others.
The Structure of Arguments : McInerny covers the basics of argument structure, explaining how to identify premises, conclusions, and evidence. He provides tips for constructing well-supported arguments and explains how to evaluate the strength of arguments.
Inductive and Deductive Reasoning : McInerny covers the key differences between inductive and deductive reasoning, and explains how to use each type of reasoning in real-world situations. He provides practical tips and examples of how to apply these principles in your own thinking.
Evidence and Proof : The book discusses the importance of evidence and proof in constructing arguments, and provides tips for evaluating the strength of evidence. McInerny explains how to use evidence to support your own arguments, and how to analyze and evaluate the evidence used by others.
Writing and Communication : The book concludes by discussing the importance of effective writing and communication in logic and critical thinking. McInerny provides tips for improving writing skills, and explains how to construct well-supported arguments in written form.

In conclusion, “Being Logical: A Guide to Good Thinking” is an accessible and comprehensive guide to the principles of logic and critical thinking. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone interested in improving your reasoning skills, this book provides a wealth of information and practical tips for becoming a more effective thinker.

12. Critical Thinking Skills: Developing Effective Analysis and Argument by Stella Cottrell

“Critical Thinking Skills: Developing Effective Analysis and Argument” by Stella Cottrell is a comprehensive guide to improving critical thinking skills. The book covers a wide range of topics, including argument construction, analysis, and evaluation, and provides practical tips and exercises for improving critical thinking skills.

Introduction to Critical Thinking : Cottrell provides an overview of what critical thinking is, and why it is important for success in all areas of life. She covers the key components of critical thinking, including analysis, evaluation, and argumentation, and explains how to apply these skills in real-world situations.
Analysis and Evaluation : The book covers the critical thinking processes of analyzing and evaluating information, including tips for identifying key information and evaluating its reliability. Cottrell provides practical examples and exercises for improving analysis skills, and explains how to use these skills to make better decisions.
Argumentation : Cottrell covers the basics of argumentation, including the components of an argument, the importance of evidence, and the role of assumptions. She provides tips for constructing effective arguments, and explains how to evaluate the strength of arguments.
Logical Fallacies : The book covers common logical fallacies and how to avoid them, including ad hominem attacks, straw man arguments, and false assumptions. Cottrell provides examples of these fallacies in real-world arguments, and explains how to identify and avoid them in your own thinking.
Writing and Communication : The book covers the importance of effective writing and communication in critical thinking. Cottrell provides tips for improving writing skills, and explains how to use writing to express your arguments and opinions effectively.
Real-world Applications : Throughout the book, Cottrell provides real-world examples and case studies to illustrate the key concepts and techniques in action. She covers a range of topics, including politics, business, and everyday decision-making.

In conclusion, “Critical Thinking Skills: Developing Effective Analysis and Argument” is a comprehensive guide to improving critical thinking skills. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone interested in improving your reasoning skills, this book provides a wealth of information and practical tips for becoming a more effective thinker. The clear, concise writing style and practical exercises make it a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their critical thinking skills.

13. Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking by Stuart M. Keeley, Neil Browne

“Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking” by Stuart M. Keeley and Neil Browne is a comprehensive guide to critical thinking and problem-solving. This critical thinking book covers a wide range of topics, including argumentation, analysis, and decision-making, and provides practical tips and exercises for improving critical thinking skills.

Introduction : Keeley and Browne provide an overview of what critical thinking is, and why it is important for success in all areas of life. They explain the key components of critical thinking, including analysis, evaluation, and argumentation, and provide a framework for applying these skills in real-world situations.
Analysis and Evaluation : The book covers the process of analyzing and evaluating information, including tips for identifying key information and evaluating its reliability. Keeley and Browne provide practical examples and exercises for improving analysis skills and explain how to use these skills to make better decisions.
Argumentation : The authors cover the basics of argumentation, including the components of an argument, the importance of evidence, and the role of assumptions. They provide tips for constructing effective arguments and explain how to evaluate the strength of arguments.
Logical Fallacies : The book covers common logical fallacies and how to avoid them.
Decisions and Problem-solving : The authors cover the importance of critical thinking in decision-making and problem-solving and provide practical tips for improving these skills. They explain how to evaluate options, identify potential biases, and make better decisions in various real-world situations.
Communication : The book covers the importance of effective communication in logical thinking and provides tips for improving writing and speaking skills. Keeley and Browne explain how to express your arguments and opinions effectively and how to communicate with others to reach a consensus.
Real-world Applications : Throughout the book, Keeley and Browne provide real-world examples and case studies to illustrate the key concepts and techniques in action.

In conclusion, “Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking” is a comprehensive guide to critical thinking and problem-solving. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone interested in improving your reasoning skills, this book provides a wealth of information and practical tips for becoming a more effective thinker. The clear, concise writing style and practical exercises make it a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their critical thinking skills.

14. The Critical Thinking Toolkit by Galen A. Foresman, Jamie Carlin Watson, Peter S. Fosl

“The Critical Thinking Toolkit” by Galen A. Foresman, Jamie Carlin Watson, and Peter S. Fosl is a comprehensive guide to critical thinking. The book covers the basics of critical thinking, including what it is and why it’s important, as well as more advanced topics such as how to develop critical thinking skills, how to evaluate arguments and evidence, and how to think more creatively.

Critical thinking is the ability to analyze and evaluate information, arguments, and evidence in order to make informed decisions and draw sound conclusions.
There are several key elements of critical thinking, including the ability to ask questions, evaluate evidence, identify assumptions and biases, and analyze arguments.
Developing critical thinking skills requires practice, patience, and persistence. It is important to be curious and to seek out information and arguments from a variety of sources.
In order to evaluate evidence effectively, it is important to be familiar with the types of evidence, including anecdotal evidence, statistical evidence, and expert testimony.
Also, To evaluate arguments effectively, it is important to understand the different types of arguments, including deductive arguments, inductive arguments, and abductive arguments.
It is also important to be aware of common logical fallacies, such as ad hominem attacks, straw man arguments, and false dilemma arguments.
To think more creatively, it is important to be open to new ideas and perspectives, embrace uncertainty, and think outside the box.
The authors also provide several practical tools and techniques for developing critical thinking skills, including the use of thought experiments, critical reading and writing, and Socratic questioning.

“The Critical Thinking Toolkit” is an accessible and comprehensive guide to critical thinking that is suitable for anyone who wants to improve their thinking skills. Whether you are a student, a professional, or just someone who wants to be more informed and make better decisions, this book will provide you with the tools and techniques you need to become a more effective critical thinker.

15. The Power of Critical Thinking by Lewis Vaughn

“The Power of Critical Thinking” by Lewis Vaughn is a comprehensive guide that provides a better understanding of critical thinking and its importance in our daily lives. The book offers practical techniques and strategies to help individuals develop their critical thinking skills and make informed decisions. The book’s aim is to help individuals gain the ability to think logically, rationally, and systematically and to overcome common biases and errors in reasoning.

Introduces critical thinking and its importance in our daily lives.
Offers practical techniques and strategies to help individuals develop their critical thinking skills.
Aims to help individuals gain the ability to think logically, rationally, and systematically.
Provides an understanding of common biases and errors in reasoning.
Helps individuals make informed decisions.
Explanation of critical thinking and its importance in decision-making
Techniques and strategies to develop critical thinking skills
Understanding of common reasoning errors and biases
Examination of the role of critical thinking in everyday life
Overview of ethical considerations in critical thinking
Discussion of how critical thinking can be applied in practical settings such as education, work, and politics.

Throughout the book, Lewis Vaughn explores the various aspects of critical thinking, starting with a basic understanding of what it is and why it is important. He then delves into various techniques and strategies to develop critical thinking skills, such as questioning assumptions, analyzing arguments, and recognizing fallacies. The book also covers common biases and errors in reasoning, such as confirmation bias, hasty generalization, and ad hominem attacks.

Vaughn emphasizes the importance of critical thinking in personal life and the ways in which it can help individuals make informed decisions. He also highlights the role of critical thinking in practical settings, such as education, work, and politics, and the ethical considerations that come with it.

Overall, “The Power of Critical Thinking” is a comprehensive guide that provides individuals with the tools and knowledge they need to develop their critical thinking skills and make informed decisions. The book is written in a clear and concise manner, making it accessible to a wide range of readers, regardless of their prior knowledge or experience with critical thinking.

16. How to Think About Weird Things: Critical Thinking for a New Age by Theodore Schick and Lewis Vaughn

“How to Think About Weird Things: Critical Thinking for a New Age” by Theodore Schick and Lewis Vaughn is a comprehensive guide on how to think critically and apply that thinking to everyday life. The book aims to help readers develop their analytical skills and make informed decisions based on evidence, reason, and logical thinking.

The book covers a wide range of topics, including scientific reasoning, skepticism, pseudoscience, critical evaluation of beliefs, and the importance of thinking critically. The authors provide clear and concise explanations of various critical thinking techniques, such as argument analysis and hypothesis testing, which readers can apply in their own lives. The book also features numerous examples of how critical thinking can be applied to real-world situations and help us make better decisions.

Scientific reasoning : The authors emphasize the importance of scientific reasoning in making informed decisions. They explain the scientific method and how it can be used to test theories and hypotheses. They also address common misconceptions about science, such as the idea that science is just a matter of opinion.
Skepticism : The authors explain what skepticism is and how it can be used to evaluate claims critically. They also address common misconceptions about skepticism, such as the idea that skeptics are closed-minded or cynical.
Pseudoscience : The authors explain what pseudoscience is and how it differs from science. They also provide examples of common pseudoscientific claims and explain why they are flawed.
Critical evaluation of beliefs : The authors explain how to critically evaluate beliefs and arguments. They provide a framework for analyzing arguments, including how to identify premises, conclusions, and supporting evidence.
Importance of critical thinking : The authors emphasize the importance of critical thinking in everyday life. They explain how critical thinking can help us make better decisions, avoid falling for scams and misinformation and improve our overall quality of life.

In conclusion, “How to Think About Weird Things: Critical Thinking for a New Age” is an excellent guide to critical thinking and how it can be applied in everyday life. The authors provide clear and concise explanations of critical thinking techniques and real-world examples of how they can be used. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or just someone who wants to make informed decisions, this book is an essential guide to improving your critical thinking skills.

17. Thinking Critically by John Chaffee

“Thinking Critically” by John Chaffee is a comprehensive guide to the practice of critical thinking, intended for students and general readers alike. In the book, Chaffee outlines the skills and knowledge necessary to analyze and evaluate arguments effectively and make well-supported decisions. The book is organized into four sections, each of which covers a different aspect of critical thinking.

Section 1: Introduction to Critical Thinking

The purpose of critical thinking
The importance of critical thinking in today’s world
Common obstacles to critical thinking and how to overcome them

Section 2: Analyzing Arguments

How to identify and distinguish between different types of arguments
The role of evidence and reasons in arguments
How to assess the strength and weaknesses of arguments

Section 3: Evaluating Reasoning and Evidence

The criteria for evaluating reasoning and evidence
How to evaluate reasoning and evidence in different contexts
The importance of considering alternative perspectives

Section 4: Applying Critical Thinking in Everyday Life

How to apply critical thinking to personal and social issues
How to critically evaluate media and advertising
The role of critical thinking in making informed decisions

The book includes a variety of pedagogical features, such as review questions, exercises, and suggestions for further reading, to aid in understanding and retention of the material.

Overall, “Thinking Critically” provides a comprehensive overview of the key elements of critical thinking and offers practical guidance for how to apply these skills in everyday life. The book is well-written and accessible, making it a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their critical thinking skills.

Lastly, the 17 books on critical thinking that we’ve highlighted in this blog are a great resource for anyone looking to improve their reasoning skills and make informed decisions. Each book offers a unique perspective and approach to critical thinking, making it easy to find one that fits your learning style and needs.

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced critical thinker, these books are sure to challenge your assumptions and provide you with the tools you need to think more deeply, solve problems more effectively, and make better decisions. So why not choose a book from this list and start your journey to become a more informed and critical thinker today!

Nonfiction Books » Philosophy Books

The best books on critical thinking, recommended by nigel warburton.

Thinking from A to Z by Nigel Warburton

Do you know your straw man arguments from your weasel words? Nigel Warburton , Five Books philosophy editor and author of Thinking from A to Z, selects some of the best books on critical thinking—and explains how they will help us make better-informed decisions and construct more valid arguments.

Interview by Cal Flyn , Deputy Editor

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About The World — And Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling

Black Box Thinking: The Surprising Truth About Success by Matthew Syed

The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli

The best books on Critical Thinking - Critical Thinking: Your Guide to Effective Argument, Successful Analysis and Independent Study by Tom Chatfield

Critical Thinking: Your Guide to Effective Argument, Successful Analysis and Independent Study by Tom Chatfield

The best books on Critical Thinking - Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

1 Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

2 factfulness: ten reasons we're wrong about the world — and why things are better than you think by hans rosling, 3 black box thinking: the surprising truth about success by matthew syed, 4 the art of thinking clearly by rolf dobelli, 5 critical thinking: your guide to effective argument, successful analysis and independent study by tom chatfield.

W e’re here to talk about critical thinking. Before we discuss your book recommendations, I wonder if you would first explain: What exactly is critical thinking, and when should we be using it?

But that’s just one element of critical thinking. Critical thinking is broader, though it encompasses that. In recent years, it’s been very common to include discussion of cognitive biases—the psychological mistakes we make in reasoning and the tendencies we have to think in certain patterns which don’t give us reliably good results. That’s another aspect: focussing on the cognitive biases is a part of what’s sometimes called ‘informal logic’, the sorts of reasoning errors that people make, which can be described as fallacious. They’re not, strictly speaking, logical fallacies, always. Some of them are simply psychological tendencies that give us unreliable results.

The gambler’s fallacy is a famous one: somebody throwing a die that isn’t loaded has thrown it three times without getting a six, and then imagines that, by some kind of law of averages, the fourth time they’re more likely to get a six, because they haven’t yet got one yet. That’s just a bad kind of reasoning, because each time that you roll the dice, the odds are the same: there’s a one in six chance of throwing a six. There’s no cumulative effect and a dice doesn’t have a memory. But we have this tendency, or certainly gamblers often do, to think that somehow the world will even things out and give you a win if you’ve had a series of losses. That’s a kind of informal reasoning error that many of us make, and there are lots of examples like that.

I wrote a little book called Thinking from A to Z which was meant to name and explain a whole series of moves and mistakes in thinking. I included logic, some cognitive biases, some rhetorical moves, and also (for instance) the topic of pseudo-profundity, whereby people make seemingly deep statements that are in fact shallow. The classical example is to give a seeming paradox—to say, for example ‘knowledge is just a kind of ignorance,’ or ‘virtue is only achieved through vice.’ Actually, that’s just a rhetorical trick, and once you see it, you can generate any number of such ‘profundities’. I suppose that would fall under rhetoric, the art of persuasion: persuading people that you are a deeper thinker than you are. Good reasoning isn’t necessarily the best way to persuade somebody of something, and there are many devious tricks that people use within discussion to persuade people of a particular position. The critical thinker is someone who recognises the moves, can anatomise the arguments, and call them to attention.

So, in answer to your question: critical thinking is not just pure logic . It’s a cluster of things. But its aim is to be clear about what is being argued, what follows from the given evidence and arguments, and to detect any cognitive biases or rhetorical moves that may lead us astray.

Many of the terms you define and illustrate in Thinking from A to Z— things like ‘straw man’ arguments and ‘weasel words’—have been creeping into general usage. I see them thrown around on Twitter. Do you think that our increased familiarity with debate, thanks to platforms like Twitter, has improved people’s critical thinking or made it worse?

I think that improving your critical thinking can be quite difficult. But one of the ways of doing it is to have memorable labels, which can describe the kind of move that somebody’s making, or the kind of reasoning error, or the kind of persuasive technique they’re using.

For example, you can step back from a particular case and see that somebody’s using a ‘weak analogy’. Once you’re familiar with the notion of a weak analogy, it’s a term that you can use to draw attention to a comparison between two things which aren’t actually alike in the respects that somebody is implying they are. Then the next move of a critical thinker would be to point out the respects in which this analogy doesn’t hold, and so demonstrate how poor it is at supporting the conclusion provided. Or, to use the example of weasel words—once you know that concept, it’s easier to spot them and to speak about them.

Social media, particularly Twitter, is quite combative. People are often looking for critical angles on things that people have said, and you’re limited in words. I suspect that labels are probably in use there as a form of shorthand. As long as they’re used in a precise way, this can be a good thing. But remember that responding to someone’s argument with ‘that’s a fallacy’, without actually spelling out what sort of fallacy it is supposed to be, is a form of dismissive rhetoric itself.

There are also a huge number of resources online now which allow people to discover definitions of critical thinking terms. When I first wrote Thinking from A to Z , there weren’t the same number of resources available. I wrote it in ‘A to Z’ form, partly just as a fun device that allows for lots of cross references, but partly because I wanted to draw attention to the names of things. Naming the moves is important.

“People seem to get a kick out of the idea of sharing irrelevant features—it might be a birthday or it might be a hometown—with somebody famous. But so what?”

The process of writing the book improved my critical thinking quite a lot, because I had to think more precisely about what particular terms meant and find examples of them that were unambiguous. That was the hardest thing, to find clear-cut examples of the various moves, to illustrate them. I coined some of the names myself: there’s one in there which is called the ‘Van Gogh fallacy,’ which is the pattern of thought when people say: ‘Well, Van Gogh had red hair, was a bit crazy, was left-handed, was born on the 30th of March, and, what do you know, I share all those things’—which I do happen to do—‘and therefore I must be a great genius too.’

I love that. Well, another title that deals with psychological biases is the first critical thinking book that you want to discuss, Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking Fast and Slow . Why did you choose this one?

This is an international bestseller by the Nobel Prize-winning behavioural economist—although he’s principally a psychologist—Daniel Kahneman. He developed research with Amos Tversky, who unfortunately died young. I think it would have been a co-written book otherwise. It’s a brilliant book that summarizes their psychological research on cognitive biases (or its patterns of thinking) which all of us are prone to, which aren’t reliable.

There is a huge amount of detail in the book. It summarizes a lifetime of research—two lifetimes, really. But Kahneman is very clear about the way he describes patterns of thought: as using either ‘System One’ or ‘System Two.’ System One is the fast, intuitive, emotional response to situations where we jump to a conclusion very quickly. You know: 2 + 2 is 4. You don’t think about it.

System Two is more analytical, conscious, slower, methodical, deliberative. A more logical process, which is much more energy consuming. We stop and think. How would you answer 27 × 17? You’d have to think really hard, and do a calculation using the System Two kind of thinking. The problem is that we rely on this System One—this almost instinctive response to situations—and often come out with bad answers as a result. That’s a framework within which a lot of his analysis is set.

I chose this book because it’s a good read, and it’s a book you can keep coming back to—but also because it’s written by a very important researcher in the area. So it’s got the authority of the person who did the actual psychological research. But it’s got some great descriptions of the phenomena he researches, I think. Anchoring, for instance. Do you know about anchoring?

I think so. Is that when you provide an initial example that shapes future responses? Perhaps you’d better explain it.

That’s more or less it. If you present somebody with an arbitrary number, psychologically, most people seem prone when you ask them a question to move in the direction of that number. For instance, there’s an experiment with judges. They were being asked off the cuff: What would be a good sentence for a particular crime, say shoplifting? Maybe they’d say it would be a six-month sentence for a persistent shoplifter.

But if you prime a judge by giving an anchoring number—if you ask, ‘Should the sentence for shoplifting be more than nine months?’ They’re more like to say on average that the sentence should be eight months than they would have been otherwise. And if you say, ‘Should it be punished by a sentence of longer than three months?’ they’re more likely to come down in the area of five , than they would otherwise.

So the way you phrase a question, by introducing these numbers, you give an anchoring effect. It sways people’s thinking towards that number. If you ask people if Gandhi was older than 114 years old when he died, people give a higher answer than if you just asked them: ‘How old was Gandhi when he died?’

I’ve heard this discussed in the context of charity donations. Asking if people will donate, say, £20 a month returns a higher average pledge than asking for £1 a month.

People use this anchoring technique often with selling wine on a list too. If there’s a higher-priced wine for £75, then somehow people are more drawn to one that costs £40 than they would otherwise have been. If that was the most expensive one on the menu, they wouldn’t have been drawn to the £40 bottle, but just having seen the higher price, they seem to be drawn to a higher number. This phenomenon occurs in many areas.

And there are so many things that Kahneman covers. There’s the sunk cost fallacy, this tendency that we have when we give our energy, or money, or time to a project—we’re very reluctant to stop, even when it’s irrational to carry on. You see this a lot in descriptions of withdrawal from war situations. We say: ‘We’ve given all those people’s lives, all that money, surely we’re not going to stop this campaign now.’ But it might be the rational thing to do. All that money being thrown there, doesn’t mean that throwing more in that direction will get a good result. It seems that we have a fear of future regret that outweighs everything else. This dominates our thinking.

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What Kahneman emphasizes is that System One thinking produces overconfidence based on what’s often an erroneous assessment of a situation. All of us are subject to these cognitive biases, and that they’re extremely difficult to remove. Kahneman’s a deeply pessimistic thinker in some respects; he recognizes that even after years of studying these phenomena he can’t eliminate them from his own thinking. I interviewed him for a podcast once , and said to him: ‘Surely, if you teach people critical thinking, they can get better at eliminating some of these biases.’ He was not optimistic about that. I’m much more optimistic than him. I don’t know whether he had empirical evidence to back that up, about whether studying critical thinking can increase your thinking abilities. But I was surprised how pessimistic he was.

Interesting.

Unlike some of the other authors that we’re going to discuss . . .

Staying on Kahneman for a moment, you mentioned that he’d won a Nobel Prize, not for his research in psychology per se but for his influence on the field of economics . His and Tversky’s ground-breaking work on the irrationality of human behaviour and thinking forms the spine of a new field.

Let’s look at Hans Rosling’s book next, this is Factfulness . What does it tell us about critical thinking?

Rosling was a Swedish statistician and physician, who, amongst other things, gave some very popular TED talks . His book Factfulness , which was published posthumously—his son and daughter-in-law completed the book—is very optimistic, so completely different in tone from Kahneman’s. But he focuses in a similar way on the ways that people make mistakes.

We make mistakes, classically, in being overly pessimistic about things that are changing in the world. In one of Rosling’s examples he asks what percentage of the world population is living on less than $2 a day. People almost always overestimate that number, and also the direction in which things are moving, and the speed in which they’re moving. Actually, in 1966, half of the world’s population was in extreme poverty by that measure, but by 2017 it was only 9%, so there’s been a dramatic reduction in global poverty. But most people don’t realise this because they don’t focus on the facts, and are possibly influenced by what they may have known about the situation in the 1960s.

If people are asked what percentage of children are vaccinated against common diseases, they almost always underestimate it. The correct answer is a very high proportion, something like 80%. Ask people what the life expectancy for every child born today is, the global average, and again they get it wrong. It’s over 70 now, another surprisingly high figure. What Rosling’s done as a statistician is he’s looked carefully at the way the world is.

“Pessimists tend not to notice changes for the better”

People assume that the present is like the past, so when they’ve learnt something about the state of world poverty or they’ve learnt about health, they often neglect to take a second reading and see the direction in which things are moving, and the speed with which things are changing. That’s the message of this book.

It’s an interesting book; it’s very challenging. It may be over-optimistic. But it does have this startling effect on the readers of challenging widely held assumptions, much as Steven Pinker ‘s The Better Angels of Our Nature has done. It’s a plea to look at the empirical data, and not just assume that you know how things are now. But pessimists tend not to notice changes for the better. In many ways, though clearly not in relation to global warming and climate catastrophe, the statistics are actually very good for humanity.

That’s reassuring.

So this is critical thinking of a numerical, statistical kind. It’s a bit different from the more verbally-based critical thinking that I’ve been involved with. I’m really interested to have my my assumptions challenged, and Factfulness is a very readable book. It’s lively and thought-provoking.

Coming back to what you said about formal logic earlier, statistics is another dense subject which needs specialist training. But it’s one that has a lot in common with critical thinking and a lot of people find very difficult—by which I mean, it’s often counter-intuitive.

One of the big problems for an ordinary reader looking at this kind of book is that we are not equipped to judge the reliability of his sources, and so the reliability of the conclusions that he draws. I think we have to take it on trust and authority and hope that, given the division of intellectual labour, there are other statisticians looking at his work and seeing whether he was actually justified in drawing the conclusions that he drew. He made these sorts of public pronouncements for a long time and responded to critics.

But you’re right that there is a problem here. I believe that most people can equip themselves with tools for critical thinking that work in everyday life. They can learn something about cognitive biases; they can learn about reasoning and rhetoric, and I believe that we can put ourselves as members of a democracy in a position where we think critically about the evidence and arguments that are being presented to us, politically and in the press. That should be open to all intelligent people, I think. It is not a particularly onerous task to equip yourself with a basic tools of thinking clearly.

Absolutely. Next you wanted to talk about Five Books alumnus Matthew Syed ‘s Black Box Thinking .

Yes, quite a different book. Matthew Syed is famous as a former international table tennis player, but—most people probably don’t know this—he has a first-class degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) from Oxford as well.

This book is really interesting. It’s an invitation to think differently about failure. The title, Black Box Thinking, comes from the black boxes which are standardly included in every passenger aircraft, so that if an accident occurs there’s a recording of the flight data and a recording of the audio communications as the plane goes down. When there’s a crash, rescuers always aim to recover these two black boxes. The data is then analysed, the causes of the crash, dissected and scrutinized, and the information shared across the aeronautic industry and beyond.

Obviously, everybody wants to avoid aviation disasters because they’re so costly in terms of loss of human life. They undermine trust in the whole industry. There’s almost always some kind of technical or human error that can be identified, and everybody can learn from particular crashes. This is a model of an industry where, when there is a failure, it’s treated as a very significant learning experience, with the result that airline travel has become a very safe form of transport.

This contrasts with some other areas of human endeavour, such as, sadly, much of healthcare, where the information about failures often isn’t widely shared. This can be for a number of reasons: there may be a fear of litigation—so if a surgeon does something unorthodox, or makes a mistake, and somebody as a result doesn’t survive an operation, the details of exactly what happened on the operating table will not be widely shared, typically, because there is this great fear of legal comeback.

The hierarchical aspects of the medical profession may have a part to play here, too. People higher up in the profession are able to keep a closed book, and not share their mistakes with others, because it might be damaging to their careers for people to know about their errors. There has been, historically anyway, a tendency for medical negligence and medical error, to be kept very quiet, kept hidden, hard to investigate.

“You can never fully confirm an empirical hypothesis, but you can refute one by finding a single piece of evidence against it”

What Matthew Syed is arguing is that we need to take a different attitude to failure and see it as the aviation industry does. He’s particularly interested in this being done within the healthcare field, but more broadly too. It’s an idea that’s come partly from his reading of the philosopher Karl Popper, who described how science progresses not by proving theories true, but by trying to disprove them. You can never fully confirm an empirical hypothesis, but you can refute one by finding a single piece of evidence against it. So, in a sense, the failure of the hypothesis is the way by which science progresses: conjecture followed by refutation, not hypothesis followed by confirmation.

As Syed argues, we progress in all kinds of areas is by making mistakes. He was a superb table-tennis player, and he knows that every mistake that he made was a learning experience, at least potentially, a chance to improve. I think you’d find the same attitude among musicians, or in areas where practitioners are very attentive to the mistakes that they make, and how those failures can teach them in a way that allows them to make a leap forward. The book has a whole range of examples, many from industry, about how different ways of thinking about failure can improve the process and the output of particular practices.

When we think of bringing up kids to succeed, and put emphasis on avoiding failure, we may not be helping them develop. Syed’s argument is that we should make failure a more positive experience, rather than treat it as something that’s terrifying, and always to be shied away from. If you’re trying to achieve success, and you think, ‘I have to achieve that by accumulating other successes,’ perhaps that’s the wrong mindset to achieve success at the higher levels. Perhaps you need to think, ‘Okay, I’m going to make some mistakes, how can I learn from this, how can I share these mistakes, and how can other people learn from them too?’

That’s interesting. In fact, just yesterday I was discussing a book by Atul Gawande, the surgeon and New Yorker writer, called The Checklist Manifesto . In that, Gawande also argues that we should draw from the success of aviation, in that case, the checklists that they run through before take-off and so on, and apply it to other fields like medicine. A system like this is aiming to get rid of human error, and I suppose that’s what critical thinking tries to do, too: rid us of the gremlins in machine.

Well, it’s also acknowledging that when you make an error, it can have disastrous consequence. But you don’t eliminate errors just by pretending they didn’t occur. With the Chernobyl disaster , for instance, there was an initial unwillingness to accept the evidence in front of people’s eyes that a disaster had occurred, combined with a fear of being seen to have messed up. There’s that tendency to think that everything’s going well, a kind of cognitive bias towards optimism and a fear of being responsible for error, but it’s also this unwillingness to see that in certain areas, admission of failure and sharing of the knowledge that mistakes have occurred is the best way to minimize failure in the future.

Very Beckettian . “Fail again. Fail better.”

Absolutely. Well, shall we move onto to Rolf Dobelli’s 2013 book, The Art of Thinking Clearly ?

Yes. This is quite a light book in comparison with the others. It’s really a summary of 99 moves in thinking, some of them psychological, some of them logical, some of them social. What I like about it is that he uses lots of examples. Each of the 99 entries is pretty short, and it’s the kind of book you can dip into. I would think it would be very indigestible to read it from cover to cover, but it’s a book to keep going back to.

I included it because it suggests you can you improve your critical thinking by having labels for things, recognising the moves, but also by having examples which are memorable, through which you can learn. This is an unpretentious book. Dobelli doesn’t claim to be an original thinker himself; he’s a summariser of other people’s thoughts. What he’s done is brought lots of different things together in one place.

Just to give a flavour of the book: he’s got a chapter on the paradox of choice that’s three pages long called ‘Less is More,’ and it’s the very simple idea that if you present somebody with too many choices, rather than freeing them and improving their life and making them happier, it wastes a lot of their time, even destroys the quality of their life.

“If you present somebody with too many choices, it wastes a lot of their time”

I saw an example of this the other day in the supermarket. I bumped into a friend who was standing in front of about 20 different types of coffee. The type that he usually buys wasn’t available, and he was just frozen in this inability to make a decision between all the other brands that were in front of him. If there’d only been one or two, he’d have just gone for one of those quickly.

Dobelli here is summarising the work of psychologist Barry Schwartz who concluded that generally, a broader selection leads people to make poorer decisions for themselves. We think going into the world that what we need is more choice, because that’ll allow us to do the thing we want to do, acquire just the right consumable, or whatever. But perhaps just raising that possibility, the increased number of choices will lead us to make poorer choices than if we had fewer to choose between.

Now, that’s the descriptive bit, but at the end of this short summary, he asks ‘So what can you do about this practically?’ His answer is that you should think carefully about what you want before you look at what’s on offer. Write down the things you think you want and stick to them. Don’t let yourself be swayed by further choices. And don’t get caught up in a kind of irrational perfectionism. This is not profound advice, but it’s stimulating. And that’s typical of the book.

You can flip through these entries and you can take them or leave them. It’s a kind of self-help manual.

Oh, I love that. A critical thinking self-help book .

It really is in that self-help genre, and it’s nicely done. He gets in and out in a couple of pages for each of these. I wouldn’t expect this to be on a philosophy reading list or anything like that, but it’s been an international bestseller. It’s a clever book, and I think it’s definitely worth dipping into and coming back to. The author is not claiming that it is the greatest or most original book in the world; rather, it’s just a book that’s going to help you think clearly. That’s the point.

Absolutely. Let’s move to the final title, Tom Chatfield’s Critical Thinking: Your Guide to Effective Argument, Successful Analysis and Independent Study . We had Tom on Five Books many moons ago to discuss books about computer games . This is rather different. What makes it so good?

Well, this is a different kind of book. I was trying to think about somebody reading this interview who wants to improve their thinking. Of the books I’ve discussed, the ones that are most obviously aimed at that are Black Box Thinking , the Dobelli book, and Tom Chatfield’s Critical Thinking . The others are more descriptive or academic. But this book is quite a contrast with the Dobelli’s. The Art of Thinking Clearly is a very short and punchy book, while Tom’s is longer, and more of a textbook. It includes exercises, with summaries in the margins, it’s printed in textbook format. But that shouldn’t put a general reader off, because I think it’s the kind of thing you can work through yourself and dip into.

It’s clearly written and accessible, but it is designed to be used on courses as well. Chatfield teaches a point, then asks you to test yourself to see whether you’ve learnt the moves that he’s described. It’s very wide-ranging: it includes material on cognitive biases as well as more logical moves and arguments. His aim is not simply to help you think better, and to structure arguments better, but also to write better. It’s the kind of book that you might expect a good university to present to the whole first year intake, across a whole array of courses. But I’m including it here more as a recommendation for the autodidact. If you want to learn to think better: here is a course in the form of a book. You can work through this on your own.

It’s a contrast with the other books as well, so that’s part of my reason for putting it in there, so there’s a range of books on this list.

Definitely. I think Five Books readers, almost by definition, tend towards autodidacticism, so this is a perfect book recommendation. And, finally, to close: do you think that critical thinking is something that more people should make an effort to learn? I suppose the lack of it might help to explain the rise of post-truth politics.

It’s actually quite difficult to teach critical thinking in isolation. In the Open University’s philosophy department, when I worked there writing and designing course materials, we decided in the end to teach critical thinking as it arose in teaching other content: by stepping back from time to time to look at the critical thinking moves being made by philosophers, and the critical thinking moves a good student might make in response to them. Pedagogically, that often works much better than attempting to teach critical thinking as a separate subject in isolation.

This approach can work in scientific areas too. A friend of mine has run a successful university course for zoologists on critical thinking, looking at correlation and cause, particular types of rhetoric that are used in write ups and experiments, and so on, but all the time driven by real examples from zoology. If you’ve got some subject matter, and you’ve got examples of people reasoning, and you can step back from it, I think this approach can work very well.

But in answer to your question, I think that having some basic critical thinking skills is a prerequisite of being a good citizen in a democracy . If you are too easily swayed by rhetoric, weak at analysing arguments and the ways that people use evidence, and prone to all kinds of biases that you are unaware of, how can you engage politically? So yes, all of us can improve our critical thinking skills, and I do believe that that is an aspect of living the examined life that Socrates was so keen we all should do. [ end of the original interview. Update below ]

———————————-

It’s been just over two years since you explained to us what critical thinking is all about. Could you update us on any books that have come out since we first spoke?

In How To Make the World Add Up , Tim Harford gives us ten rules for thinking better about numbers, together with a Golden Rule (‘Be curious’). Anyone who has listened to his long-running radio series More or Less will know how brilliant Tim is at explaining number-based claims – as I read it, I hallucinated Tim’s reassuring, sceptical, reasonable, amused, and patient voice. He draws on a rich and fascinating range of examples to teach us (gently) how not to be taken in by statistics and poorly supported claims. There is some overlap with Calling Bullshit , but they complement each other. Together they provide an excellent training in how not to be bamboozled by data-based claims.

December 4, 2020

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Nigel Warburton

Nigel Warburton is a freelance philosopher, writer and host of the podcast Philosophy Bites . Featuring short interviews with the world's best philosophers on bite-size topics, the podcast has been downloaded more than 40 million times. He is also our philosophy editor here at Five Books , where he has been interviewing other philosophers about the best books on a range of philosophy topics since 2013 (you can read all the interviews he's done here: not all are about philosophy). In addition, he's recommended books for us on the best introductions to philosophy , the best critical thinking books, as well as some of the key texts to read in the Western canon . His annual recommendations of the best philosophy books of the year are among our most popular interviews on Five Books . As an author, he is best known for his introductory philosophy books, listed below:

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The 17 Best Books on Critical Thinking (to Read in 2024)

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The aim of improving your skill of critical thinking isn’t just to be able to reason and give logical arguments about a subject skillfully; your goal is to get to the right answer, to make the right decisions and choices for yourself and others.

Critical thinking helps you:

First , improve the quality of your decisions and judgments, and reevaluate your beliefs objectively.

The human mind is rarely objective. However, mastering the skill of critical thinking keeps your mind objective, at least about those things based on facts.

Take for example the beliefs you have about yourself; Some are based on facts, some on subjective (negative) opinions of others.

Second , become an independent thinker (learn to think for yourself); take ownership of your values, beliefs, judgments, and decisions.

Mastering critical thinking is essential , especially in our modern times, because you must:

Make a tone of decisions every day;
Think and come to the right conclusion fast;
Solve (mostly alone) your problems and issues;
Weigh carefully facts and information you receive from the dozens of sources you have at your disposal;
Reevaluate your strategies, beliefs, and habits periodically.

Critical thinking is a skill that you must learn; you’re not born with it. To make your journey a little easier, we’ve gathered the best critical thinking books so you can learn from the masters. Get inspired to become a critical thinker in no time!

The best books on critical thinking:

Table of Contents

1. Critical Thinking: A Beginner’s Guide to Critical Thinking, Better Decision Making, and Problem Solving – Jennifer Wilson

2. wait, what: and life’s other essential questions- james e. ryan, 3. think smarter: critical thinking to improve problem-solving and decision-making skills – michael kallet, 4. brain power: learn to improve your thinking skills – karl albrecht, 5. the art of thinking clearly – rolf dobelli, 6. being logical: a guide to good thinking – d.q. mcinerny, 7. predictably irrational, revised and expanded edition: the hidden forces that shape our decisions – dr. dan ariely, 8. a more beautiful question: the power of inquiry to spark breakthrough ideas – warren berger, 9. a rulebook for arguments – anthony weston, 10. thinking, fast and slow – daniel kahneman, 11. the organized mind: thinking straight in the age of information overload – daniel j. levitin, 12. don’t believe everything you think: the 6 basic mistakes we make in thinking – thomas e. kida, 13. the decision book: 50 models for strategic thinking – mikael krogerus, roman tschäppeler, philip earnhart, jenny piening, 14. weaponized lies: how to think critically in the post-truth era – daniel j. levitin, 15. the demon-haunted world: science as a candle in the dark paperback – carl sagan, ann druyan, 16. how to think about weird things: critical thinking for a new age – theodore schick, lewis vaughn, 17. the 5 elements of effective thinking – edward b. burger, michael starbird.

As the title says, this book introduces you to the art of critical thinking. You’ll discover in it:

What is critical thinking in practice,
The different thought processes of critical thinking,
How will your life be better mastering critical thinking,
The things your brain needs to enjoy exercising critical thinking,
Techniques you can use for solving problems,
How to become a better decision maker, Strategies to use in your critical thinking processes,
Ways to make good decisions when more people (not just you) are involved,
Tips to frame your questions in order to maximize the efficiency of your critical thinking.

Wisdom comes from observation, learning, practice, and asking the right questions.

Using examples from history, politics, and his own personal life, James e Ryan shows you the importance of knowing how to:

Ask questions and gain a better understanding,
Get to be more curious,
Push yourself to take action,
Make your relationship stronger,
And stay focused on the important things in life.

Related: Critical Thinking Examples

The book starts with the five fundamental questions:

Couldn’t we at least…?
How can I help…?
What truly matters….?

Knowing how to formulate, address, and deliver the right questions doesn’t leave room for misunderstandings, misinterpretations; asking the wrong questions will most probably give you a wrong answer.

This book (Wait, What?: And Life’s Other Essential Questions) will make you feel (more) courageous; after all, asking questions thanks courage. Asking yourself and others the right questions helps you make informed decisions and decisive action.

This book is a guide on how to train your brain to work even more for you. The author (Michael Kallet) is a critical thinking trainer and coach and gives you a practical set of tools and techniques for critical thinking in your day-to-day life and business.

If you want a clear, actionable step by step program to:

Improve your critical thinking skills,
A better understanding of complex problems and concepts,
And how to put them in practice, then this book is for you.

Learn how to discover the real issues that need a solution, so you don’t waste your time in trying to solve imaginary problems. Increase your mental toughness, useful and productive thought.

In this book, Karl Albrecht shows you how to:

Build your mental strength,
Think more clearly logically and creative,
Improve your memory,
Solve problems,
Make decisions more effectively.

Karl Albrecht talks in this book about the six functional abilities you need to have and become more adaptable and an innovative thinker.

The book is packed with practical exercises, fascinating illustrations, games, and puzzles to improve your mental capabilities.

The art of thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli is a window into human psychology and reasoning; how we:

Make decisions;
Evaluate choices and options;
Develop cognitive biases.

This book helps you notice and recognize erroneous thinking and make better choices and decisions, change unwanted behaviors and habits.

It will change the way you think about yourself and life in general because you have in this book 99 short chapters with examples of the most common errors of judgment and how to rectify them.

If you wish to think more clearly, make better decisions and choices, reevaluate your biases, and feel better about yourself, this book is for you.

When you decide you want to study the field of logic more closely and improve your critical thinking, this book might be exactly what you need. It’s written clearly and concisely laying out for you the basic building blocks of logic and critical thinking.

The ancient civilizations understood better than us how important is to study logic and rhetoric. With the help of this book, you’ll bring back into your life these essential things that our modern society forgot and missed to teach you as a child.

Having increased logical thinking doesn’t mean to ignore your emotions. It means to start from your emotions and together, (emotions and logic) to take better decisions and see more clearly your choices to move forward in life.

books on critical thinking and reasoning

“Predictably Irrational, The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions” is a book packed with examples of how:

Irrational are our choices;
We make decisions on impulse;
We fool ourselves with optimism- “that must work for me.”

The author presents you, in this book, a large number of mental traps and flawed tendencies which can make your life harder.

After reading this book, you’ll be better informed about a variety of human flaws and how to avoid being trapped by irrational thinking. You’ll be better prepared to make decisions and choices based more on facts rather than subjective personal opinions.

Knowing how to ask the right questions is determining your success about many things in your life:

Influencing others,
Getting out of tricky situations,
Reevaluating your beliefs,
Offering yourself and others compassion,
Overcoming mistakes and fears.

Warren Berger shows you in this book examples of people who are successful (partially) because they are experts in asking questions and don’t have preconceived ideas about what the answers should be.

This book helps you avoid wasting your innovative and brilliant ideas by presenting them in the same way over and over and getting nowhere over and over.

Asking yourself (and others) the right questions gives you the opportunity to display your ideas in a way that those around you feel compelled to listen.

This book is impressive because, Anthony Weston gives you a lot of excellent and practical advice, ordered in a logical and clear manner.

The examples in this book are realistic and useful, ranging from deductive to oral arguments, from argumentative essays to arguments by analogy.

Once you read this book you’ll want to have it on hand to sort out all sorts of situations you’ll encounter in your day-to-day life.

Daniel Kahneman, the author of this book, is a renowned psychologist and winner of the Nobel Prize in economics.

In this book, you will discover where you can and cannot trust your intuition; how to use the two systems that drive the way you think.

The first system is fast, intuitive, and emotional; the second system is slower, based on facts, and more logical.

The author argues that knowing how to use these two systems can make a huge difference in how you:

Design your strategies,
Predict consequences,
Avoid cognitive biases,
(and even simple things like) choosing the colors for your home office.

If you want to improve your critical thinking, know when you should use logic (instead of using emotions), and become mentally stronger this book is definitely for you.

Critical thinking can’t be created in a cluttered mind. It’s like trying to prepare a gourmet meal for your loved ones in a cramped and dysfunctional kitchen.

As if is not enough all the information you store in your mind from what you personally experience every day, our modern times forcefully adds to that information a lot of junk.

The book “The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload” by Daniel J. Levitin will help you sort out and organized your thoughts with the help of the four components in the human attentional system:

Mind wandering mode;
Central executive mode;
Attentional filter;
Attentional switch.

The book is showing you how you can improve your critical thinking and make better decisions concerning many areas of your life.

This book can (really) change your life if you’re dealing with procrastination, multitasking, the inability to switch off and block the outside world.

All in all, you’ll be better prepared to think straight in the age of information overload.

Thomas E. Kida talks in this book very elegantly about the six basic mistakes your thinking can make.

The first mistake is being mesmerized by stories and ignoring the facts or statistics.
The second mistake is searching to confirm what we already know or believe.
The third mistake is to discount the role that chance and coincidence play in our life.
The fourth mistake is believing that what you see it’s always the reality.
The fifth mistake is to oversimplify things.
The sixth mistake is to believe (trust) faulty memories.

This book can be for you an eye-opener into critical thinking, accepting who you are as you are, and improving the way you choose and make decisions.

Did you know you have a strategy for everything you do? From brushing your teeth to making new friends? From choosing a career to dealing with difficult people?

Considering you have a strategy for everything you do, it’s only logical the try to improve every day the way you develop your strategies and don’t leave it to chance, habit, or convenience.

“The Decision Book: 50 Models for Strategic Thinking” can improve your critical thinking and help you make your life easier and more enjoyable.

This book is interactive and provokes you to think about some of the strategies that don’t bring you the results you want.

It contains 58 illustrations offering summaries for known strategies such as the Rubber Band Model, the Personal Performance Model, and the Black Swan Model.

This book is for you if you want to improve the flexibility of your thinking, accept challenges more comfortable, feel more in control of your decisions and choices.

From this book, by Daniel Levitin, you’ll learn how to think critically and avoid being manipulated by things like misleading statistics and graphics, extreme view, or fake news.

The book contains three main sections:

Evaluating numbers – how to read statistics and data to find out what lurks underneath and make a more objective analysis
Evaluating words – how to assess the information you receive from experts, understanding the difference between incidence and prevalence, risk perceptions, and probabilistic thinking
Evaluating the world – how to interpret scientific methods for different types of reasoning (induction, deduction, abduction)

This book will help you improve your critical thinking providing you with a lot of food for thought.

You know how in a criminal trial they call two experts that have divergent opinions on the same facts? Depending on whose side they are? This book teaches you to see the truth.

Although written in the 1990s, this bestseller book is still relevant in today’s society.

With both intelligence and compassion, Carl Sagan lays out the importance of education, logic, and science. This book will show you a ton of practical skills for assessing arguments, recognizing logical fallacies, and applying the scientific method.

Sagan felt that reason and logic could make the world a better place.

This book contains invaluable instructions on logic and reason using critical thinking, without being dull or difficult to understand.

Schick and Vaughn effectively laid out the key elements on how to assess evidence, sort through reasons, and recognize when a claim is likely to be accurate, making this book an absolute must-read for all students.

If you want to be better at decision-making based on sound evidence and argument, then this book is for you.

If you ever found yourself stuck on a problem, or having trouble in forming new ideas, this book will guide you in finding creative solutions to life’s difficult challenges.

This book emphasizes the value of effective thinking, how it can be mastered, and how to integrate it into everyday life.

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The 4 Pillars of Critical Thinking: 103 Techniques & Hacks to Improve Your Work and Personal Life by Mastering Mental Skills. Analyze Situations Better and Reason Well by Detecting Logical Fallacies

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The 4 Pillars of Critical Thinking: 103 Techniques & Hacks to Improve Your Work and Personal Life by Mastering Mental Skills. Analyze Situations Better and Reason Well by Detecting Logical Fallacies Paperback – December 9, 2023

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Ready to take control of your life and achieve meaningful results this powerful guide enhances your reasoning, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.

Are you struggling to make informed decisions and understand complex information?

Do you find problem-solving daily personal and professional issues challenging?

Are you struggling with ineffective communication and persuasion?

If you’re looking to...

Embark on a journey of self-improvement and discover proven techniques and strategies to enhance your analytical thinking, reasoning, and problem-solving abilities...

Master the art of detecting logical fallacies and evaluating information accurately...

Gain the skills you need to make confident, well-reasoned decisions in both your work and personal life...

Then you’re in the right place! “ The 4 Pillars of Critical Thinking: ” will equip you with the mental skills needed to navigate complex situations and make sound choices.

Here’s what you’ll gain from this book:

Enhanced Clarity and Informed Decision-Making : Gain the ability to make well-informed decisions and understand complex information with ease. By developing clear thinking and honing your logical reasoning skills, you'll navigate through the maze of options and arrive at sound conclusions that align with your goals and values.
Effective Problem-Solving Strategies : Say goodbye to feeling stuck when faced with challenges. With improved analytical skills, you'll tackle problems head-on, uncover innovative solutions, and overcome obstacles with confidence.
Overcoming Bias and Misinformation : In today's information-saturated world, biases and misinformation abound. By mastering critical thinking, you'll develop the ability to recognize and overcome these obstacles. You'll learn to discern reliable sources, challenge assumptions, and distinguish between fact and fiction. Armed with this skill, you'll make more accurate, objective, and informed conclusions.
Strengthened Analytical Skills : Experience a significant boost in your ability to analyze and evaluate arguments, claims, and evidence critically. The book provides you with a comprehensive toolkit of 103 techniques and hacks that will sharpen your analytical prowess. From dissecting complex ideas to uncovering hidden fallacies, you'll become a master of logical reasoning and strategic thinking.
Effective Communication and Persuasion : You'll be able to express your thoughts and ideas more clearly, leading to better understanding and improved interpersonal relationships. You'll become a more persuasive communicator, capable of influencing others through well-reasoned arguments and evidence.
Empowerment and Self-Confidence : As you progress on your journey of critical thinking, you'll experience a profound sense of empowerment and self-confidence. Armed with the knowledge and skills to analyze situations and reason effectively, you'll approach challenges with a newfound assurance. You'll make choices based on sound judgment, navigate complexities with ease, and embrace opportunities for personal and professional growth.

And so much more!

Imagine the confidence and clarity you'll have when analyzing complex topics, weighing ethical questions, and making sound decisions. Embrace a world where you can extract meaning, joy, and fulfillment from everyday situations, appreciating the beauty in the details.

Begin developing your cognitive abilities, expanding your appreciation for learning, and gaining a greater understanding of the world. Start thinking critically and seize the opportunity to make a profound impact on your work and personal life.

Grab your copy of “ The 4 Pillars of Critical Thinking ” today!

Print length 151 pages
Language English
Publication date December 9, 2023
Dimensions 6 x 0.35 x 9 inches
ISBN-10 1961398133
ISBN-13 978-1961398139
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Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mind Mentor (December 9, 2023)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 151 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1961398133
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1961398139
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.35 x 9 inches
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Customers find the book practical and informative for boosting critical thinking skills. They say it offers tons of techniques to enhance decision-making, overcome biases, and strengthen analytical skills. Readers also mention the writing quality is concise, easy to understand, and carefully written. They describe the book as awesome, enlightening, and wonderful.

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Customers find the book offers practical tools to enhance mental clarity and decision-making. They say it teaches how to assess decisions, make sure they're not biased, and navigate biases. Readers also say it's a useful guide for anyone looking to enhance their analytical skills and make informed decisions. They mention it empowers them to think critically, make sound choices, and achieve their goals. In addition, they say it's well-researched and a great resource for learning how to problem-solve.

"...These aren't just abstract concepts; they're practical tools that, when applied, can significantly improve one's ability to analyze situations, make..." Read more

"...is its clear, four-part approach—laying the groundwork, improving your thinking process , and showing how to apply these skills in real life...." Read more

"...I personally found it to be practical , hands-on approach focuses on overcoming bias and misinformation while strengthening analytical skills...." Read more

"The 4 Pillars of Critical Thinking is an incredibly insightful and practical guide for anyone looking to enhance their reasoning, decision-making,..." Read more

Customers find the book's mental skills helpful. They say it tightens up their logical mindsets, provides real-life examples, and helps them improve communication and problem-solving abilities. Readers appreciate that the guide emphasized the mastery of logical fallacy detection, which is crucial for accurate decision making. They also say it infuses objectivity into decision making and simplifies complex ideas.

"...guide that lives up to its ambitious title, delivering a wealth of strategies , techniques, and insights aimed at enhancing decision-making, problem-..." Read more

"...It’s packed with practical techniques to help you spot flaws in arguments, solve problems, and overcome biases, which is more important than ever in..." Read more

"...complexities, communicate effectively, and tackle challenges with confidence and empowerment , this book becomes a go-to resource for anyone looking..." Read more

"...What I loved most is how it simplifies complex ideas , helping readers detect logical fallacies and improve analytical thinking...." Read more

Customers find the writing quality of the book very concise and easy to understand. They also say it's easy to read, follow, and apply. Readers mention the glossary of terms is helpful. Additionally, they say the practical, hands-on approach focuses on overcoming bias. However, some find the breadth and depth of the book overwhelming.

"...Meyer's writing is accessible and engaging, making complex ideas understandable to readers without sacrificing depth...." Read more

"...What really makes it stand out is its clear , four-part approach—laying the groundwork, improving your thinking process, and showing how to apply..." Read more

"...I personally found it to be practical, hands-on approach focuses on overcoming bias and misinformation while strengthening analytical skills...." Read more

"...The 103 techniques and hacks provided in this book are easy to follow and can be applied to both personal and professional situations...." Read more

Customers find the book awesome, enlightening, and wonderful. They say it's an important, educational, and enjoyable read. Readers also mention the writing is accessible and engaging, making complex ideas fun.

"...of Critical Thinking," and want to share my experience with this enlightening read . My review might be a bit long, sorry about that:..." Read more

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COMMENTS

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The 17 Best Books on Critical Thinking (to Read in 2024)
Critical thinking is a skill that you must learn; you’re not born with it. To make your journey a little easier, we’ve gathered the best critical thinking books so you can learn from the masters. Get inspired to become a critical thinker in no time! The best books on critical thinking:
The 4 Pillars of Critical Thinking: 103 Techniques & Hacks to ...
This book is a must-read for anyone wanting to improve their critical thinking and make smarter decisions. It’s packed with practical techniques to help you spot flaws in arguments, solve problems, and overcome biases, which is more important than ever in today’s info-packed world.
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