Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking (6th Edition) [Paperback]

M. Neil Browne (Author), Stuart M. Keeley (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0130891347 | ISBN-13: 978-0130891341 | Publication Date: July 5, 2000 | Edition: 6th

For all level Critical Thinking, Argumentative Writing, and Informal Logic courses in English, Social Science, Philosophy, Education, Journalism, and Mass Communication departments. This highly popular text helps students bridge the gap between simply memorizing or blindly accepting information, and the greater challenge of critical analysis and synthesis. It teaches them to respond to alternative points of view and develop a solid foundation for making personal choices about what to accept and what to reject.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I have assigned ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS to a wide range of students in a wide range of courses over my fourteen years as a college professor. First-year college students have used the book to analyze and evaluate arguments about contemporary business issues. College juniors and seniors have used the book to analyze and evaluate legal arguments, and issues related to race and gender. ... Many of my students tell me the book has changed the way they read, write, and argue." - Andrea Giampetro-Meyer, J.D., Loyola College in Maryland "I think ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS is one of the most valuable resources currently available for higher education courses as well as for other contexts... Virtually any course could benefit from the addition of this book and the integration of the authors' approach to critical thinking. I myself have used the book for several years in a variety of courses and know that it has truly enhanced my students' rational thinking processes." - Norrine L. Ostrowski, Ph.D., University of Minnesota-Morris "As an instructor I like the approach ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS takes. It is practical and uses a cross-disciplinary approach. Asking the "right" questions is a technique that can be used in any discipline at any level."- Valeri Farmer-Dougan, Illinois State University

From the Back Cover

This book helps readers bridge the gap between simply memorizing or blindly accepting information and the greater challenge of critical analysis and synthesis. It teaches them to respond to alternative points of view and develop a solid foundation for making personal choices about what to accept and what to reject as they read and listen. Chapter titles include: The Benefit of Asking the Right Questions; What are the Issue and the Conclusion?; What Are the Reasons?; What Are the Value Conflicts and Assumptions?; Are There Any Fallacies in the Reasoning?; How Good Is the Evidence: Intuition, Appeals to Authority, and Testimonials?; and What Reasonable Conclusions Are Possible?. For any critical reader who wants to enhance and develop better reasoning skills in order to make rational decisions.

Product Details

• Paperback: 221 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall College Div; 6th edition (July 5, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0130891347
• ISBN-13: 978-0130891341
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #576,599 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

72 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good introduction to Critical Thinking, February 18, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking (6th Edition) (Paperback)

Asking the Right Questions is a practical book in the category of Critical Thinking or Informal Logic. It discusses a set of questions that may be used to analyze and evaluate rational arguments. After a short introduction explaining the scope, purpose, and relative usefulness of thinking critically, the book divides into chapters, each centered around a particular critical question, e.g., "What significant information is omitted?" and "How good is the evidence?"

Throughout the text, the vocabulary of informal logic is introduced. Arguments are defined, a nice distinction is made between descriptive and prescriptive assumptions, and most of the major fallacies are discussed. While the text is not a complete reference in these respects, it covers most of the basic terms and structural features of arguments with which those new to the field should be familiar.

The editing is disappointing for a sixth edition, especially a paperback sixth edition at this price. Punctuation is occasionally missing. Correctly-spelled but misused words are sprinkled throughout, e.g., 'rationale' is used where 'rational' would be more appropriate. Perhaps most disturbing is an argument about abortion that inappropriately becomes one about divorce, which suggests a careless attempt to reuse past writing.

This book would be appropriate for bright high school students, undergraduates, or anyone wishing to develop their critical thinking skills. If you, like many others, frequently find that most of the arguments you read or hear seem to "make sense" and would like guidance in deciding whether to accept or reject a particular claim (and why), then you would likely find reading this book to be enlightening and rewarding.

42 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Balanced guide to critical thinking, November 4, 2001

By 

David M. Pennington (Parker, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking (6th Edition) (Paperback)

I found Asking the Right Questions (ARQ) to be a very balanced and thorough approach to critical thinking. I am an electrical engineer by profession... I am well-regarded by my peers as an careful thinker; however, I have found myself frustrated at times when discussing controversial issues with friends... some lines of thought don't ring true, but are nonetheless hard to refute. After reading ARQ, I found that these dilemmas are frequently the result of not agreeing on the definitions of ambiguous terms (e.g. oppression, sexism, racism) or on some logical fallicies that was used. This has made a quite difference in my ability to discern the issues at hand.

ARQ uses a systematic list of questions to review the proposed thesis. These questions are designed to help you understand their conclusion, and evaluate their supporting evidence. Throughout the book, you are encouraged to set your own biases aside in favor of rationally evaluating the evidence. Furthermore, you receive some brief instruction on typical logical fallicies. Ad hominem attacks are addressed; however, I disagree with a prior reviewer's assertion that this is nothing new. Indeed some of us grew up in homes that did not value name-calling, but that is just the start of an ad-hominem attack. Many times discussions get sidetracked by implicit accusations about a person's character. As an example, this statement (greatly simplified here) was recently used on me, "you couldn't possibly be able to think critically, because your spiritual convictions make you biased." Until I read ARQ, I had a hard time realizing that this is actually a diversionary tactic used to sidetrack the discussion. If I accept this "evidence", the issue now becomes my credibility, instead of discussing my actual position on the issue.

Another good point the authors make is that that the mere existence of a logical fallicy should be not used as a means to halt discussion:

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When you spot a [logical] fallacy, you have found a legitimate basis for rejecting the argument. But in the spirit of constructive critical thinking, you want to continue the discussion of the issue.... [if the] fallacy occured in an oral argument your best bet for an enduring conversation is to ask the person who committed the fallacy if there is not a better reason for the conclusion. (ARQ, 6th ed, p 105)
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Finally, this book doesn't try to give you the "right answers" to controversial issues. They teach you how to find those answers on your own. In many cases, there are no right or wrong answers... simply a difference in the core values of the individuals.

I have been very pleased with the thoughtful approach that ARQ uses. I believe that every high-school and college student should be required to read it.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Think For Yourself, October 5, 2001

By 

H. Arsham "Dr. Professor Hossein Arsham" (Baltimore, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking (6th Edition) (Paperback)

Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking by M. Neil Brownie and Stuart Kelley is an in-depth handbook on critical thinking techniques that enable us to evaluate arguments and question the quality of the reasoning that leads to a certain conclusion. The authors state that too often we accept what we see and hear, becoming passive absorbers of information rather than critical listeners or readers. They go on to caution us against adapting a belief as our own before examining the validity of arguments for or against. We should ask questions in order to reach our own personal opinion or decision.

Although not its purpose, Asking the Right Questions actually provides great insight into the art of brainwashing. The authors' meticulous journey through the techniques of critical thinking reveals how we too frequently accept what we are told without ever questioning the source of the material. As we are bombarded daily with information, there are so many opportunities for misunderstanding and deception. How easily we surrender our power to others by allowing them, in so many subtle ways, to control our opinions and beliefs! For it truly is difficult to "pan for gold" and make our own choices.

By the same token, it is extremely easy for others to utilize ambiguous language, assumptions, invalid arguments and biased evidence to persuade or convince us that their opinions are "right". Sadly, most of us are not even aware that we are being led - we just don't "see" the faulty logic in many arguments or question the data being provided. The authors' critical questions and clues are invaluable in analyzing examples of flawed reasoning.

This book is a mind-expanding experience for almost everyone. It is a newfound freedom that will forever alter your perception and your approach to thinking process.