Customer Reviews

The Thinker's Way: 8 Steps to a Richer Life

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
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I read this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. Upon reading the reviews of others, I noticed a dichotomy. People either REALLY liked it or thought it was too simple. I also noticed that the reviews of the ones advocating its futility were by far SHORTER than the reviews by the "happy campers." While my judgement is, by far, not scientific, I am led to believe that those that thought of it as a simplistic work...simply missed the point. This book is very philosophical while still practical. Chaffee is well informed and "preaches" the virtues of a world where people who want to be informed, live as such. I'll keep my review short and ask you not to read this book like a novel, but, as Chaffee suggests, read it over an extended period of time allowing for the concepts to come to fruition.

I am a college teacher in psychology and the Humanities and recently came across THE THINKER'S WAY. It is such a welcome change from all the New Age/Psychobabble books promising everlasting life if a person does everything but think. It is so refreshing! For 17 years I have been a Life Planning counselor and teach people to do many of the things the book advocates: problem-solving, decision-making and goal setting. This book, THE THINKER'S WAY, almost reads like a textbook for my counseling practice.

The author, John Chaffee, Ph.D., is the Director of the New York Center for Critical Thinking and Language Learning and brings to us many years of research into critical thinking. The result is a book that teaches how to think critically and then apply those skills to everyday situations. The world can be very confusing with the tremendous amount of information thrown at us every day. How do you make a decision or analyze information to see if it is valuable to you or not? This book details how to approach the various challenges of life by thinking clearly. With an eight-step process to critical thinking, he provides information and exercises to get you going in the right direction. Whether attacking problems, dealing with difficult people, deflecting propaganda directed at you or just bettering your life through better decision-making and fewer regrets, the collective knowledge in this text points the way to clear thinking.

How many times have you come out of the bookstore with a new self-help book that you're sure will improve your relationships, career, parenting, creativity, decision-making, communication skills, organization, romances--in a word, your life as a whole? In my experience, what often ends up happening is that you adopt a new method of working/relating/parenting/organizing/ communicating/loving for a short while before slipping back into old patterns and, in frustration, giving up. What a relief, then, that John Chaffee has written "The Thinker's Way," a book that promises to improve every area of your life, and actually does. Unlike other, more simplistic, self-help books, "The Thinker's Way" works because, in a manageable series of eight steps, it nurtures the most basic and important part of your being--your ability to think, make intelligent decisions, skillfully evaluate situations, and foster creativity in your thinking and in your life. Chaffee focuses on three key ideas--"Thinking Critically, Living Creatively, Choosing Freely". Aren't these the qualities of life we all strive for? This book has truly changed the way that I think. It has created me as a thinker who can effectively deal with complex situations, who can live a life of creativity, and who can make free, confident choices. The author calls to our attention the alarming fact that we have become a "nation of non-thinkers"--unsure of our opinions, awash with information, and confused when faced with complex problems and relationships. He imagines a "thinking world"--a world where each of us achieves our full potential, leading the most fulfilling life possible. Is this world plausible? After reading this book I realize that it is the kind of world that we would live in if everyone took the time to read, and live their lives, "The Thinker's Way."

"The Thinker's Way" is an incomplete work. It consists of a bare framework upon which the barest trappings of critical and creative thinking are hung. The framework is sturdy, but the shreds of actual information displayed thereon are flimsy and overly sparse. To a reader who is severely lacking in the logical reasoning skills described in this work, "The Thinker's Way" may indeed be a revelation. The concepts are there, but they are explained in an overly simplistic manner, such that anyone with a modicum of critical reasoning skills would gain little. Those that are looking to "brush up" their skills or are looking for a new take on the subject may find the treatment shallow and boring. All in all, I give this book three stars only because it is a good *introduction* to the subject and may lead people to investigate deepening their logical thinking skills. It also points out some harsh realities about modern society and its abandonment of reason for the laziness of spoon-fed mass media "fact". However, it is by no means revolutionary, particularly insightful, nor the in-depth treatise on the subject that it portends to be.

This book is not only well-written, but it works! And it works for every aspect of your life! If you want to inject some creativity into your life, read this book. If you want to make independent, thoughtful choices in your life, read this book. If you want to become a better thinker, read this book. If you want to communicate more effectively, read this book. If you feel like you constantly have misunderstandings in your relationships, or you just want to improve your relationships in general, read this book. If you want guidance in developing opinions and a moral code, read this book. If you want to raise "thinking children," read this book. If you want to create a meaningful life for yourself, read THE THINKER'S WAY. Evertime I'm faced with a complication in my life now, I know that THE THINKER'S WAY can help, and has helped. It helps you become a better person--something we all want to do, but often don't find the time to accomplish. I think that we can all use THE THINKER'S WAY because, after all, if reading it enables yout to create a life of meaning for yourself, isn't it worth the time?

John Chaffee encourages you to reach your full potential as a critical thinker and a creative thinker. He outlines ways you can improve your thinking and decision-making processes. It covers basic background information about the psychology of thought and encourages you to develop a rewarding, well-considered set of beliefs. The author discusses and evaluates stumbling blocks to critical thought, and then offers suggestions and activities for overcoming them. Though it is probably familiar to good communicators and occasionally repetitive, this material provides food for thought especially for those who are new to critical thinking. We [...] recommend this book to those who enjoy self-help books, and who want basic assistance in improving their thinking and communicating skills.

The Thinker's Way is not only a great read but it also provides a practical guide to self-help. Most books try to help you - this one delivers. As a parent I immediately turned to Chaffee's chapters on raising the thinking child. WOW. It was amazing to find him second guessing every question that was on my mind. For parents concerned about - are they doing the "right" thing, The Thinker's Way provides a guilt free road map to being a better parent. Beyond a guide to raising kids, Dr, Chaffee outlines ways for the reader to first find out where he/she is in developing more meaningful relationships and then practical ways to make current relationships and future relationships more exciting and more fun. If I were you I would stop reading this review and order The Thinker's Way through amazon.com right now. This book will improve your life with no pain. Thanks to Dr. Chaffee for his clarity and his thoughts on how to make life more interesting. BRAVO.

This book differs from many of the other types of self-help books by dealing only with the "thought" process.

You can transform yourself through the 8 Steps- 1. Think Critically 2. Live Creatively 3. Choose Freely 4. Solve Problems Effectively 5. Communicate Effectively 6. Analyze Complex Issues 7. Devlop Enlightened Values 8. Think Through Relationships

The Thinker's Way is a must read if you want to improve yourself in any of the above 8 steps.

If you've never been to college, this book may be for you. However, if you are fairly well educated, this book will most likely do nothing but bore you, and you are well advised to avoid it as probably you have avoided the ranks of other shallow self-help books. There are many other books on this topic that are far better: simply do a search with the phrase 'Critical Thinking'.