Critical Thinking [Paperback]

Richard L. Epstein (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0534583482 | ISBN-13: 978-0534583484 | Publication Date: January 5, 2005 | Edition: 3

Critical thinking isn't as easy as it sounds. CRITICAL THINKING shows you how decision-making errors are made, and how to avoid them. By combining simple explanations with time-tested theories, CRITICAL THINKING helps you meet the challenges of life head-on. And because it includes over one thousand examples drawn from everyday life and tons of study tools, this textbook helps you get the grade you need.

Product Details

• Paperback: 441 pages
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing; 3 edition (January 5, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0534583482
• ISBN-13: 978-0534583484
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,142 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rigorous and original, June 1, 2006

By 

271828182 (Pasadena, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Critical Thinking (Paperback)

Shamefully, most critical thinking textbooks are not particularly logical. They present mostly grab-bags of rules and fallacies linked together more by scholastic repetition than by reasoning. By contrast, Epstein's text is backed up by a rigorous, coherent theory of inference. The book is nonetheless utterly clear and non-technical, more so than any other informal logic or critical thinking text I have ever read. No time is wasted with pedantic verbiage or time-honored but useless distinctions (the reader is hard-pressed to even find the words "inductive" or "deductive").

All the basic elements of informal reasoning are covered: recognizing and reconstructing arguments, making claims precise, distinguishing validity and strength, recognizing valid forms, evaluating the plausibility of premises, recognizing fallacies, evaluating specialized types of arguments (analogies, generalizations, and cause-effect reasoning), and writing good arguments. It effectively incorporates teaching logic in writing through multiple short assignments, including ingenious cartoon exercises that force us to think carefully about how we reason about non-verbal data. Examples are mostly drawn from everyday life (diet, health, money, careers, and relationships) rather than specialized subjects. The supporting material for instructors is substantial, including dozens of quizzes and exams (however, this supporting material is unhelpfully organized, crammed into Word files that run over a hundred pages each).

Over the last decade, I have read dozens of textbooks that try to teach critical thinking or informal logic. None of them come close to being as good as Epstein's Critical Thinking.

5.0 out of 5 stars Critical Thinking by Richard Epstein, October 8, 2011

By 

thebrightgift (Los angeles, Ca) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Critical Thinking (Paperback)

Great book/tool to have. It's been helping me sort out what I perceive to be true or not. It has helped me de-clutter my mind. Excellent book; highly recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, March 1, 2011

By 

mike84 - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Critical Thinking (Paperback)

This booked helped me a lot in critical thinking. I read this book and was very useful. Good illustrations to help you understand this books. Well written book and price is reasonable.