Customer Reviews

Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking

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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.

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.

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.

The problem often not the problem itself but how we see the problem. That is why highly effective people "seek first to understand," in Stephen Covey's words. And, the most important skill for understanding correctly, for seeing the real problem, is asking the right questions. This book, and others, such as Why Didn't I Think of That? - Think the Unthinkable - give your mind the tools it needs to fully satisfy its natural curiosity. They show you time-honored, incisive questions, demonstrate why they work with interesting examples, and give you an important opportunity to adopt them as your own so that you too will "Ask the Right Questions" in your thinking process and not end up having to look back asking "Why Didn't I Think of That?"

I use the foundations of "Asking the Right Questions" as mandatory learning for my freshman students. As an instructor at a community college, this book provides a simple, yet necessary format for processing information. Browne and Keeley explain there are no "right or wrong" answers for many issues, just explanations on what constitutes one's values. I could teach a course on the contents of this book alone, if given the opportunity. Everyone in the academic community will benefit from this engaging read!!

The Book has helped me enormously. It has given me structure to evaluate and formulate in order to make better decisions. I think poor structure is better than no structure, even if this book does not help you out as much as it did myself. This book has given myself a template to improve upon so that I might seek to understand what people are trying to influence me. If you are like me and believe the Masses are fickle, and you want to seperate yourself and really understand life then this book should be on your list.
The book has some practicals to help with the formulated structure.
I highly recommend this book for individuals entering college or graduate school.

This book has truely had an IMPACT on my life. The Easy to follow guide lets you know how to change your own thought patterns to better your entire existance. This is no exageration. After one chapter you will begin to do things you never thought yourself capeable of.

Function at a higher level. Get more out of live. Ask "Why?"

This book is only a starting point for a new, better life. A life filled with magnificent thoughts.

Challenging ideas is always the hard way - but it seems to be the only way forward when moving in an unknown environment. That's why I found this book very convenient for people who want to get into business management.

I was amazed that so many filler words could add up to only 100 pages. Poorly structured. The examples are fine if you have a photographic memory, otherwise it requires rereading entire paragraphs just to identify the points the authors are trying to make. The book could have been summarized with bulletpoints in less than 10 pages.