Critical Thinking: A Concise Guide [Paperback]

Tracey Bowell (Author), Gary Kemp (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0415240174 | ISBN-13: 978-0415240178 | Publication Date: January 1, 2002 | Edition: 1

Critical Thinking is a much-needed guide to thinking skills and above all to thinking critically for oneself. Through clear discussion, students learn the skills required to tell a good argument from a bad one.
Key features include:
*jargon-free discussion of key concepts in argumentation
*how to avoid confusions surrounding words such as 'truth', 'knowledge' and 'opinion'
*how to identify and evaluate the most common types of argument
*how to spot fallacies in arguments and tell good reasoning from bad
*topical examples from politics, sport, medicine, music
*chapter summaries, glossary and exercises
Critical Thinking is essential reading for anyone, student or professional, seeking to improve their reasoning and arguing skills.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'This concise guide offers relevant, rigorous and approachable methods... thoughtfully structured series of chapters, with clear definitions... this book [is] a valuable resource for developing a useful understanding of methods of persuasion.' - Times Educational Supplement

About the Author

Tracy Bowell is lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Waikato, New Zealand. Dr Gary Kemp is lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Glasgow, UK.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (January 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415240174
• ISBN-13: 978-0415240178
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,361,259 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Introduction to an essential topic, November 21, 2005

By 

B. Sullivan "Reader" (Sparta, MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Critical Thinking: A Concise Guide (Paperback)

As a student returning to school after a long absence, I felt I needed to brush up on some essential skills. Chief among these is critical thinking, as its use impacts everything we read, hear, and see to some extent. This book is an excellent introduction; it is clearly written, with each successive idea built firmly upon the previous ones. The authors use a minimum of jargon, and make no assumptions as to the reader's prior knowledge of logic or argument theory.
I now have a command of the basic principles and terminology, and find myself making better arguments. More importantly, I can now spot flawed arguments as well as fallacies and rhetorical ploys that make up so much of public and political discourse. I expect to refer back to it many times in coming years.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Clear explanations but a little long- winded, May 15, 2005

By 

Mr. John Thomson (Glasgow, Scotland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Critical Thinking: A Concise Guide (Paperback)

As a student studying philosophy at Glasgow University i found this book well laid out and it gave clear explanations to the topics presented. However, i also found the particular explantions were very long which was simply not needed. The question section was also useful for tutorial work but not for studying because it did not have answers included. This was very unhelpful and it makes the section quite pointless becuase you do not know whether you are correct or not.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clear and readable, August 15, 2004

By 

Peter (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Critical Thinking: A Concise Guide (Paperback)

An excellent book: well written, clear, and helpful. I felt I learned quite a lot despite having done a fair amount of prior reading in philosophical logic and rhetoric.