Critical Thinking Skills For Dummies

Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
Introduction
	About This Book
	Foolish Assumptions
	Icons Used in This Book
	Beyond the Book
	Where to Go from Here
Part 1 Getting Started with Critical Thinking Skills
	Chapter 1 Entering the Exciting World of Critical Thinking
		Opening the Doors to the Arguments Clinic
			Defining Critical Thinking
			Spotting how the brain likes to think
			Evaluating what you read, hear, and think
		Reading between the Lines
			Challenging concepts of rationality
			Dipping into the critical thinking skills toolbox
			Ordering your thinking: Reason, analyze, and then argue
			Discovering what kind of thinking you do
		Understanding What Critical Thinking Isn’t
	Chapter 2 Peering into the Mind: How People Think
		Thinking Logically or Instinctively
			Buying beans and composing sonnets
			Jumping to conclusions: The cost of fast thinking
			Encountering illogicality with the Linda Problem
			Considering the power of group thinking
				Questioning your beliefs
				Cascading information
		Watching How the Brain Thinks
			“My nerves are playing up”: The brain at work
			Stereotypes versus statistics — guess who wins!
		Getting Inside Scientists’ Heads
			Engaging with scientific convention
			Trusting conjecture and refutation
			Thinking in fits and starts: Paradigm shifts
		Answers to Chapter 2’s Exercises
			Pricing bats and balls
			Looking for the robber
			Astronomical wrangles
	Chapter 3 Planting Ideas in Your Head: The Sociology of Thinking
		Asking Whether You’re Thinking What You Think You’re Thinking
			Knowing how outside forces work on people
			Influencing people’s opinions
				Consumer demand
				Emulation
				Advertising
		Thinking and Indoctrination: Propaganda
			“Here’s what you think, comrade”: Russia and China
			Mr. Hitler appealing to the man on the street
		Appreciating the Difficulties of Staying Impartial
			Being neutral . . . up to a point: The BBC
			Things are heating up: The climate change debate
			Struggling to find a consensus
		Appealing to Feelings: The Psychology of Argument
			Using emotions to powerful effect
			Grabbing the attention of the gullible
			Spotting prejudice dressed as science
		Manipulating Minds and Persuading People
			Understanding how persuasion in society works
			Recognizing the language of persuasion
			Recoiling in horror as millions of Americans see “Daisy” get blown up by a bomb
			Spotting the techniques being used on you!
	Chapter 4 Assessing Your Thinking Skills
		Discovering Your Personal Thinking Habits
			Identifying the essence of critical thinking
			Testing your own critical thinking skills!
				Question 1: Brain teaser
				Question 2: Word pictures
				Question 3: Spot the fallacy!
				Question 4: Good argument!
				Question 5: Type-casting
				Question 6: More type-casting
				Question 7: Business skills
				Question 8: Time management
				Question 9: Justice for TV watchers
				Question 10: Car rentals
				Bonus question: The riddle of the old- fashioned brew
		Busting Myths about Thinking
			Accepting that sloppy thinking can work
			Trumping logic with belief
			Confirming the truth of confirmation bias
				Argumentative self-control and critical thinking
				“It’s only logically consistent, Captain”: Practical wisdom is virtuous
		Exploring Different Types of Intelligence: Emotions and Creativity
			Thinking about what other people are thinking: Emotional intelligence
				Emotional intelligence skills
				EQ not IQ
			Finding out about fuzzy thinking and creativity
		Answers to Chapter 4’s Exercises
			Feedback on the critical thinking skills test
				1: Brain teasers
				2: Word pictures
				3: Spot the fallacy!
				4: Good argument!
				5: Type-casting
				6: More type-casting
				7: Business skills
				8: Time management
				9: Justice for TV watchers
				10: Car rentals
				Bonus question: The riddle of the old-fashioned brew
Part 2 Developing Your Critical Thinking Skills
	Chapter 5 Critical Thinking Is Like . . . Solving Puzzles: Reasoning by Analogy
		Investigating Inventiveness and Using Your Imagination
			Understanding the importance of analogies to creativity
				Watching your language
				Seeing how words play tricks
		Confused Comparisons and Muddled Metaphors
			Seeing false analogies in action
			Uncovering false analogies
		Becoming a Thought Experimenter
			Discovering thought experiments
			Dropping Galileo’s famous balls: Critical thinking in action
			Splitting brains in half with philosophy
		Answers to Chapter 5’s Exercises
			Schrödinger’s Cat
	Chapter 6 Thinking in Circles: The Power of Recursion
		Thinking Like a Computer Programmer
			Taking tips on clarity from programmers
			Thinking methodically with algorithms
				Approaching the chaos
				Producing a solution
			Distinguishing between semantics and syntax
			Thinking dialectically
		Sort, Select, Amplify, Generate: Using Design Skills to See New Solutions
			Check all the angles
			State the problem, gather relevant information, and analyze the implications
			Look close, look away, look back
			Try to avoid facts
		Ordering Yourself a Nice, Fresh Argument! (Exercise)
		Answers to Chapter 6’s Exercises
			The Maze Flow Chart
			“Help me!”
			The Monster’s Argument
	Chapter 7 Drawing on Graphics for Thinking
		Discovering Graphical Tools: Mind Mapping and Making Concept Charts
			Minding out for mind maps
			Counting on concept charts
			Following links and going with the flow
		Putting Graphical Tools to Use
			Choosing the right chart arrangement
			Developing simple concept charts
			Using maps and charts in the real world
			Appreciating the different styles of concept charts and mind maps
			Adding movement to your diagrams by drawing flowcharts
		Considering Other Thinking Tools
			Emptying your head with a dump list
			Sifting for gold: Summarizing
			Conjuring up ideas with brainstorming
			Ascending the heights: Meta-thinking
			Trying out triangulation
				Real-life triangles
				Denzin’s three-sided methods
		Answers to Chapter 7’s Exercises
			The plant problem
			Summarizing exercise
	Chapter 8 Constructing Knowledge: Information Hierarchies
		Building the Knowledge Pyramid
			Viewing the connections between data and information
			Joining the (data) dots to create information
			Social media sifting disinformation
			Birdwatch
			Watching for errors and biases
		Turning the Knowledge Hierarchy Upside Down
			Thinking critically with Benjamin Bloom
				Meeting Bloom’s Taxonomy
				Making knowledge flow upwards
			Thinking creatively with Calvin Taylor
		Maintaining Motivation: Knowledge, Skills, and Mindsets
			Feeling your way to academic success!
			Perusing the paradoxical nature of praise
			Developing the necessary mindset
		Answers to Chapter 8’s Exercises
			Dewey’s recipe for education
			“It’s been an exceptionally wet summer”
			Research on the problems of demotivation
Part 3 Applying Critical Thinking in Practice
	Chapter 9 Getting to the Heart of the (Reading) Matter
		Appreciating Critical Reading as a Practical Skill
		Reading between the Lines
			Checking the publisher’s standing
			Cross-examining the author
			Considering why the text was written
			Appraising how a text is written and presented
			Taking into account when a text is written
			Judging the evidence
			Assessing your reasons for reading the text
		Playing Detective: Examining the Evidence
			Weighing up primary and secondary sources
			Following chains of thought
			Read me! Testing your critical reading skills
			Spotting the hidden assumptions
		Filtering out Irrelevant Material
			Summarizing with effective note-taking
				Summary tips
				The importance of factual notes
			Using your time wisely: Skim-reading
		Answers to Chapter 10’s Exercises
			Read me! Testing your critical reading skills
			Spotting hidden assumptions
	Chapter 10 Cultivating Your Critical Writing Skills
		Structuring Your Thoughts on the Page
			Identifying the basics of structure
			Presenting the evidence and setting out the argument
			Checking out the key principles of well-structured writing
				Knowing what you’re writing about
				Doing initial research
				Taking lessons from others
			Reworking that first draft
			Deconstructing the question
			Producing effective conclusions
		Choosing the Appropriate Style of Writing
			Keeping your audience in mind
			Considering the detail required
		Getting Down to the Specifics of Critical Writing
			Understanding that only gardens should be flowery
			Spotting and using keywords
			Presenting the evidence and setting out the argument
			Signposting to keep readers on course
			Using intermediate conclusions
		Answers to Chapter 10’s Exercise
	Chapter 11 Speaking and Listening Critically
		Getting the Most from Formal Talks
		Participating in Seminars and Small Groups
			Honing your listening skills
			Transferring skills to real-life problems
		Noting a Few Notes
			Engaging in debate: The Socratic approach
			Listening to an expert: The Academic approach
			Comparing the consequences for the note-taking process
		Democratizing the Learning Environment
			Doodling to generate creativity
		Answers to Chapter 11’s Exercises
			The great intro
Part 4 Reason and Argument
	Chapter 12 Unlocking the Logic of Real Arguments
		Introducing Real-Life Arguments
			Coming as you are: Informal logic
			Persuading with premises
			Using pictures in everyday arguments
			Checking a real argument’s structure
				Analyzing an example of a real argument
				Discussing the usefulness of the fallacy
		Delving Deeper into Real Arguments
			Considering the formula “if A then B”
			Assuming a causal link
			Discussing unnecessary and insufficient conditions
			Investigating independent and joint reasons
			Being aware of hidden assumptions
		Answers to Chapter 12’s Exercises
			Persuading with premises
			Necessary conditions for goldfish
	Chapter 13 Behaving Like a Rational Animal
		Setting out Laws for Thinking Logically
			Asking Aristotle about reason
			Posing problems for logic
		Seeing How People Use Logic
			Identifying convincing arguments
				Accepting that true premises don’t make for true conclusions
				Denying the consequent
			Falling over fallacies
				Choosing your words carefully
				Watching out for circular reasoning
				Choosing the appropriate kind of reasoning
			Spotting a fallacy
		Putting Steel in Your Arguments
			Taking a clear line
			Choosing your words carefully
			Employing consistency and method
		Answers to Chapter 13’s Exercises
			The “Does welfare encourage slacking?” argument
			The starfish argument
	Chapter 14 Using Words to Persuade
		Introducing Rhetoric: When an Argument Isn’t an Argument
			Choosing the overall approach
			Making a great speech
		Winning When You’re Right
			Favoring a simple but effective structure
			Remembering the difference between denotation and connotation
			Conducting your argument with jokes
			Speaking in triples
		Debating Successfully When You’re Wrong
			Making a virtue of not knowing
			Employing convoluted jargon
			Throwing in a koan
			Conducting your arguments via questions
			Getting personal: Ad hominem
		Discerning a Message
		Answers to Chapter 14’s Exercise
	Chapter 15 Presenting Evidence and Justifying Opinions
		Challenging Received Wisdom about the World
			Investigating facts and opinions in everyday life
				Treating a troubled child
				Choosing who to trust
				Fixing a sickly car
			“Eat my (fatty) shorts!”: What is a healthy diet?
		Digging into Scientific Thinking
			Changing facts in a changing world
			Teaching facts or indoctrinating?
			Tackling the assertibility question
			Resisting the pressure to conform
			Following the evidence, not the crowd
			Rules of the scientific journal: Garbage in, garbage out
			Proving it!
		Counting on the Fact that People Don’t Understand Numbers: Statistical Thinking
		Answers to Chapter 15’s Exercise
Part 5 Part of Tens
	Chapter 16 Ten Logical Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
		Not Following Logically
		Begging the Question
		Avoiding “Black-and-White” Thinking
		Being Deliberately Unclear
		Mistaking a Connection for a Cause
		Special Pleading
		Thinking Wishfully
		Detecting the Whiff of Red Herrings
		Attacking Straw Men
		Playing at Words with Humpty Dumpty
	Chapter 17 Ten Arguments that Changed the World
		Arguing that Only an Elite Is Clever Enough to Be in Charge
		Arguing for Breaking the Law
		And Arguing for Always Obeying the Law
		Arguing Against a Greedy Elite Exploiting Everyone Else
		Proving That, “Logically,” God Exists
		Proving That, “in Practice,” God Doesn’t Exist
		Defending Human Rights
		Making Everything Relative
		Thinking Relatively with Einstein
		Posing Paradoxes to Prove Your Point
Index
EULA